1976 was United States' Bicentennial:
The country celebrated in grand fashion:
NASA painted one of their modified T-33 observation planes in a suitable scheme for the occasion:
This aircraft had started out as a bog-standard trainer before being handed off to NASA as surplus in 1971. It was given a more powerful engine and new swept wings and tail.
These modifications allowed it to reach speeds and altitudes that made it a useful observation platform for many space launches, most notably the Viking and Voyager programs.
The NASA Spirit of '76 garnered a lot of publicity and was featured on the cover of Popular Science in July, 1976:
The aircraft was repainted in a more sedate scheme after the Bicentennial ended. Its last mission was the launch of the IRAS satellite in 1983. The chase plane was retired and used as an instructional air frame until sold for scrap in 1991. Forgotten today, the only remnant of this once-proud aircraft is this Mach .05 model kit which serves as a reminder of that colorful, bygone era.
Brian da Basher