Lockheed Martin U-2 / TR-1 / ER-2

LOL classic aviator humor. Dragon Lady indeed! Thanks for sharing. I can only imagine how fun it must have been try to get an aircraft that does not want to land with a huge wingspan onto a carrier deck. Wonder what that guys insurance rates must be like!
 
yasotay said:
I can only imagine how fun it must have been try to get an aircraft that does not want to land with a huge wingspan onto a carrier deck. Wonder what that guys insurance rates must be like!
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I 've read a good article about the operation - not sure where though (possibly an old Flight Journal).

Regards,

Greg
 
Apologize if this link has been posted (I did a search for U2 spy planes and didn't find anything).

Enjoy.

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/the-cia-and-the-u-2-program-1954-1974/u2.pdf
 
Can anyone recommend literature about the Black Cat squadron (squadron of U2 pilots stationed in Taiwan - believe most or all of the pilots were ROC military)? This unit conducted reconn flights over the PRC during the late 50s thru the early 70s. Thank you.
 
...seems that SVR should send CIA better xerox and scanners)))
 
NERVA said:
Can anyone recommend literature about the Black Cat squadron (squadron of U2 pilots stationed in Taiwan - believe most or all of the pilots were ROC military)? This unit conducted reconn flights over the PRC during the late 50s thru the early 70s. Thank you.
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Chris Pocock's weighty volume on U-2 operations, 50 Years of the U-2: The Complete Illustrated History of the Dragon Lady devotes quite a bit to ROC U-2 operations.
 
Road Runners Internationale, known for their content on the A-12/SR-71, has information on a couple of ROCAF U-2 pilots. One of which has a book, Lost Black Cats, about his experience being shot down over China. A link for his book and bio is below:
http://roadrunnersinternationale.com/hua.html

Also, checkout the video (Flash Presentation) listed on the same page. Its about CIA/ROCAF overflights over China. You'll need flashplayer to view it.
 
NERVA said:
Can anyone recommend literature about the Black Cat squadron (squadron of U2 pilots stationed in Taiwan - believe most or all of the pilots were ROC military)? This unit conducted reconn flights over the PRC during the late 50s thru the early 70s. Thank you.
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If you're willing to wait a few months, Pocock is coming out with a book on the Black Cat squadron. (I'm helping with page proofs right now.)
 
blackstar said:
NERVA said:
Can anyone recommend literature about the Black Cat squadron (squadron of U2 pilots stationed in Taiwan - believe most or all of the pilots were ROC military)? This unit conducted reconn flights over the PRC during the late 50s thru the early 70s. Thank you.
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If you're willing to wait a few months, Pocock is coming out with a book on the Black Cat squadron. (I'm helping with page proofs right now.)
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Sure will, thanks.
 
Dynoman said:
Road Runners Internationale, known for their content on the A-12/SR-71, has information on a couple of ROCAF U-2 pilots. One of which has a book, Lost Black Cats, about his experience being shot down over China. A link for his book and bio is below:
http://roadrunnersinternationale.com/hua.html

Also, checkout the video (Flash Presentation) listed on the same page. Its about CIA/ROCAF overflights over China. You'll need flashplayer to view it.
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Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.
 
It was a single download (along with the chapters) last night. I wonder if they couldn't handle the site traffic. This has been getting pretty wide coverage in various enthusiast communities.

Update: The story on the GWU page is now number 1 in the Yahoo news rotation with a direct link to the page...
 
aim9xray said:
It was a single download (along with the chapters) last night. I wonder if they couldn't handle the site traffic. This has been getting pretty wide coverage in various enthusiast communities.

Update: The story on the GWU page is now number 1 in the Yahoo news rotation with a direct link to the page...
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Finally managed to get the thing down as a single download. I can see why people are interested and why the UFO nuts going to be really angry since this shoots down just about everything they've claimed, well, except for the cover up aspects of Blue Book, although it was not covering up what they thought it was covering up.

Look to see claims that this book is 'disinfo' in the near future.
 
I really enjoyed reading the history of the spy satellite development and am looking forward to reading this. :D
There is a mistake on the site. Just download the pdf from the link in the central part of the page, rename it from .pdf to .torrent and open it in micro torrent for instance. Downloaded it in 20 seconds or so. :) Over 400 pages and by looking at it, 99% of the text is there, the level of redaction is similar to one used in history of Corona and Hexagon. The quality of pictures is bad, but the maps are ok. Someone just xeroxed the whole book instead of using the regular scanner.
 
Don't forget to download and read Chris Pocock's notes about what is, and isn't, "new news".
 
British pilots flew U-2s into Soviet Union
Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2396001/The-RAFs-secret-spies-Declassified-CIA-documents-reveal-British-pilots-flew-U2-missions-Soviet-Union-Cold-War.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
 
Looks like somebody screwed up and is looking for a convenient scapegoat.
 
Video on link from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs.

http://worldwarwings.com/this-declassified-footage-of-flying-at-70k-ft-is-breathtaking?a=mk&var=ww2-70k-ride
 
Flyaway said:
Video on link from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs.

http://worldwarwings.com/this-declassified-footage-of-flying-at-70k-ft-is-breathtaking?a=mk&var=ww2-70k-ride
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This has been on youtube for two years. Then there was when James May and Adam Savage both flew at 70,000'+ in the back seat. . . (Wish there was some Mach 3+ 85,000 foot Blackbird footage.)
 
sferrin said:
Flyaway said:
Video on link from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs.

http://worldwarwings.com/this-declassified-footage-of-flying-at-70k-ft-is-breathtaking?a=mk&var=ww2-70k-ride
Click to expand...

This has been on youtube for two years. Then there was when James May and Adam Savage both flew at 70,000'+ in the back seat. . . (Wish there was some Mach 3+ 85,000 foot Blackbird footage.)
Click to expand...

Sorry about that was posted as new, and new to me as well.
 
"Then there was when James May and Adam Savage both flew at 70,000'+ in the back seat"

Speaking of jammy b'stards...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwgfU228clE

I now know why he grins all the time.

Chris
 
There's one where he's in the back seat of a Typhoon in an (apparently) unrestricted climb. Pretty amusing.
 
I've read in a couple of places that the outer 70" of wingspan of the U-2 are foldable, presumably to save hangar space. I would have thought i'd be able to find pictures relatively easily, but i haven't turned up anything so far. Does anyone have pictures showing the wings in the folded position?
 

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As the U-2 remains one of my favourite military aircraft I thought I would start a dedicated thread for it. As well as it being one of the more venerable models of aircraft still flying.

U-2 Avionics Upgrade Paves Way For Command And Control Role | Aviation Week Network

Far from being retired, the storied U-2 is being upgraded into the U.S. Air Force’s first fully open mission systems compliant fleet.
aviationweek.com aviationweek.com
 
Only a few years ago there was talk of retiring the U-2 and replacing it with the Global Hawk, now with the future upgrades it looks as if the U-2 could be like the B-52 and go on until the 2030s-2040s
 
FlightGlobal (Flight International) story on the upgrade:
www.flightglobal.com

U-2 to get avionics, mission computer update

Lockheed Martin recently secured a $50 million US Air Force contract to update the venerable U-2 spy plane. The project involves three elements: a new avionics suite, a new mission computer, and modern cockpit displays, says Lockheed. Source: Lockheed Martin The U-2S spyplane Designed to the...
www.flightglobal.com www.flightglobal.com
 

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