The Air Force plans, in January, to name a new-build C-17 the Spirit of Ronald Reagan. The aircraft will be dedicated at ceremonies in California. The first person honored with a C-17 dedication was Bob Hope, in recognition of his many years of entertaining troops overseas. USAF has named other C-17s for noteworthy individuals, such as Medal of Honor recipient Air Force Sgt. John L. Levitow, and for bases, cities, states, regions, and even groups, such as the Spirit of America’s Veterans, and concepts, such as Spirit of Freedom. Look here for a list of approved names for active duty C-17s.
As with previous stealth aircraft unveilings, the Air Force’s imagery of the F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter has been doctored to keep adversaries guessing about its true shaping and design philosophy.