![]() ![]() “It’s such a versatile airplane that has so much life left in it,” she says. The U-2S models, which the Air Force currently flies, were completed in the late 1980s these planes have about 80 percent of their structural life left, according to Irene Helley, Lockheed Martin’s current U-2 program director. subsequently suspended reconnaissance flights over the U.S.S.R., but the U-2’s intelligence-gathering abilities were considered too valuable to give up: later that same year, the Dragon Lady was back to flying recon missions-this time over Cuba. This demonstrated that Soviet surface-to-air missiles were capable of threatening even high-altitude aircraft. The plane drew international attention in 1960 when a U-2, flown by CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers, was shot down over what is now Yekaterinburg, Russia. Its combination of high-altitude flight capability and range still exceed those of most modern tactical and command-and-control aircraft, making it a more effective intelligence gatherer and data “node”-a high-capacity channel for passing along the information its sensors collect. First flown in 1955 and operational by 1956, the intelligence-gathering airplane was designed by Lockheed’s then chief engineer, Kelly Johnson, and built just nine months after the company received a contract. Why Reuse an Older Flier?ĭespite its age, the U-2 remains an immensely capable reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft. Today the U-2’s high-altitude capability, adaptable design and relatively low development cost have poised it for a new role: the 65-year-old craft is set to become a vital node in an ambitious network named the Advanced Battle Management System, which will connect weapons and sensors in space, at sea, underwater, in the air and on land. The Air Force commissioned it from the Lockheed Corporation in the 1950s as a reconnaissance aircraft that could fly above 70,000 feet-an altitude then presumed to be beyond the reach of Soviet surface-to-air missiles. The U-2, nicknamed the “Dragon Lady” after a CIA program, is the world’s best-known spy plane, easily recognizable from its gliderlike shape and stealthy black color scheme. Air Force is investing more than $50 million to keep one of its oldest types of airplanes flying indefinitely. One U2 was hit by Cuban air defence rockets.The U.S. During the Cuban missile crisis U2s were sent over Cuba to find out if the Soviets were putting nuclear missiles on the island. The pilot was captured by Soviet authorities and held in prison for two years. In 1960 one of America’s spy planes was shot down over Soviet territory. There were many incidents involving the U2. During the Vietnam War the Americans used them to fly reconnaissance missions over Communist North Vietnam. In the 1960s engineers worked to develop a U2 that could fly longer missions. ![]() ![]() U2s were built in the 1950s and originally used for flying over the Soviet Union. Planes could not fly at such a high altitude and were regularly shot down. At that time gathering information and taking pictures over Communist territory was a difficult and daring task. On long missions they received food and drink from a tube.Īfter the end of World War II the Cold War began. Breathing pure oxygen, they wore pressurized suits because a loss of air pressure would have led to unconsciousness. Although the plane had excellent gliding capabilities it was difficult to land. U2 pilots had to undergo special training. With its special cameras it could take detailed photos and close-ups of objects on the ground. The single-pilot plane could fly at an altitude of over 20 km above the earth's surface. The US Air Force built the area to create such a secret plane and test new weapons. The U2 was built in Area 51, a secret place in Nevada, known for UFO sightings. It was designed to fly high over a foreign country, take pictures and gather information. The U2 was one of the most famous military planes of the Cold War. ![]()
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