deicer Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 This one is a single- seater and based on the pilots flight gear I assume it was a "proficiency" flight. Neat to see the guys install the wing wheels.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 More U2 and worth the time... Here is a great mini doc..video about the U2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 1 hour ago, deicer said: That ain't no lady! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 51 minutes ago, seeker said: That ain't no lady! The Lockheed U2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady" ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 Just now, J.O. said: The Lockheed U2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady" ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2 Yeah, I know. (Still ain't no lady). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobcaygeon Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 And she's getting a little "nip and tuck" as she starting to sag from age. The UAV just can't quite do it all yet. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/lockheed-martin’s-u-2-dragon-lady-getting-upgrade-future-battlefields-146482 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 1 hour ago, seeker said: Yeah, I know. (Still ain't no lady). When the world of aviation was born, most aviators were men and as such they referred to their aircraft as “she”. Why? Pilots knew every female they had ever loved had idiosyncrasies but they, the stick and rudder jockeys, over-looked those peculiarities, (as did the ladies, concerning their man), because of the mutual affection between the two. Men know that if you treat a lady with respect, kindness and all that other stuff they lust for, the lady will help the man get through some rough times….thus male pilots felt that if they treated their aircraft with those same attributes, the “she” airplane would get them through the toughest of times……..thus aircraft were most often referred to as females… In today's world there are some female pilots who refer to the aircraft they are flying as “he”…probably for some deep, dark, and angry reason you will never know,.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 One thing about the 2 first videos, the first aircraft is a 2 seater the other is only one. I guess there were some different models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 13 minutes ago, Marshall said: One thing about the 2 first videos, the first aircraft is a 2 seater the other is only one. I guess there were some different models. The single seater is a pilot proficiency aircraft where "newbies" to the outfit can practice handling the aircraft. For actual missions the aircraft carries two members the BSG (Back Seat Guy) , handles a lot of the electronics and the pilot does the driving... Pilots will also use the single seater to experience flying the bird with full space suit on. BTW, the aircraft are still operating...for example Iraq and Afghanistan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 20 minutes ago, Kip Powick said: The single seater is a pilot proficiency aircraft where "newbies" to the outfit can practice handling the aircraft. For actual missions the aircraft carries two members the BSG (Back Seat Guy) , handles a lot of the electronics and the pilot does the driving... Pilots will also use the single seater to experience flying the bird with full space suit on. BTW, the aircraft are still operating...for example Iraq and Afghanistan I thought that might be the case but Quote On 1 May 1960, a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviet Air Defence Forces while performing photographic aerial reconnaissance deep into Soviet territory. The single-seat aircraft, flown by pilot Francis Gary Powers After some research I found the following which explains the difference. U-2E/F/H details[edit] A Lockheed U-2F being refueled by a KC-135Q In May 1961, in an attempt to extend the U-2's already considerable range, Lockheed modified six CIA U-2s and several USAF U-2s with aerial refueling equipment, which allowed the aircraft to receive fuel from either the KC-97 or from the KC-135. This extended the aircraft's range from approximately 4,000 to 8,000 nautical miles (7,400 to 15,000 km) and extended its endurance to more than 14 hours. The J57-powered U-2Bs were re-designated U-2E and the J75-powered U-2Cs were redesignated U-2F.[172] Each modified U-2 also included an additional oxygen cylinder. However, pilot fatigue was not considered, and little use was made of the refueling capability. The only U-2H was both air refueling-capable and carrier-capable.[173][174] U-2R/S details[edit] The U-2R, first flown in 1967, is significantly larger and more capable than the original aircraft. A tactical reconnaissance version, the TR-1A, first flew in August 1981. A distinguishing feature of these aircraft is the addition of a large instrumentation "superpod" under each wing. Designed for standoff tactical reconnaissance in Europe, the TR-1A was structurally identical to the U-2R. The 17th Reconnaissance Wing, RAF Alconbury, England used operational TR-1As from 1983 until 1991. The last U-2 and TR-1 aircraft were delivered to USAF in October 1989. In 1992 all TR-1s were re-designated to U-2R for uniformity across the fleet. The two-seat trainer variant of the TR-1, the TR-1B, was redesignated as the TU-2R. After upgrading with the GE F-118-101 engine, the former U-2Rs were designated the U-2S Senior Year. ER-2 details[edit] ER-2 being chased by support vehicle on landing A derivative of the U-2 known as the ER-2 (Earth Resources 2), in NASA's white livery, is based at the Dryden Flight Research Center (now Armstrong Flight Research Center) and is used for high-altitude civilian research including Earth resources, celestial observations, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, and oceanic processes. Programs using the aircraft include the Airborne Science Program, ERAST and Earth Science Enterprise. Landings are assisted by another pilot at speeds exceeding 120 miles per hour (190 km/h) in a chase car.[175] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 16 minutes ago, Marshall said: I thought that might be the case but Yes, the older model which had a ceiling of 70,000 feet and what we would now call outdated tech equipment. The present day U2 altitude limitation is still Top Secret but we know it is close to the "edge of space. Powers was not in a pressure suit, he did have a "G" suit on and the helmet was only for O2. I don't believe he used the ejection seat and was basically thrown out of the aircraft just short of 15,000 feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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