Posted on 09/20/2016 2:19:03 PM PDT by Ray76
One pilot died and another was injured after they ejected from a U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane that crashed in Northern California Tuesday, an Air Force spokesman confirmed.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Prayers for the crew and their families. That bird always was tricky.
I knew a guy who flew U-2s. He said it was very difficult to land because of the great amount of lift from the wings.
That bird always was tricky.
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But they’ve flown for many decades on who knows how many missions. Pretty good track record considering.
Now we're spending billion$ on the useless F-35. But the U-2s & B-52s still work. NASA will never accomplish anything again. We are DEVO!
Track record is good because pilot selection is very selective.
U-2, TR-1, U-2R or U-2S ?
I thought the Blackbird (SR-71) had long since replaced the U 2.
Officially the 71 has been retired, and they can’t get spare parts for it anyway. But I’m told that may not necessarily be the case.
What is the preferred plane for reconnaissance then?
It has it's place in the recon community but could not survive in the hostile air defense environment the F-22, F-35 and B-2 can.
The basic problem with the U-2 and B-52 is that they do not have any stealthy qualities. The B-52 has an ECM suite that works like magic but the basic design is just not stealthy so the ECM does everything. If it breaks the B-52 looks like a flaming barn door on radar.
U-2 became TR-1 then went back to being U-2 (versions not noted).
[What is the preferred plane for reconnaissance then?]
U-2’s do the basic work if there are no modern SAM sites.
IIRC, Ben Rich noted that a U-2 was just an F-104 Starfighter with much, much longer wings. And no afterburner; I’m guessing they disabled it because it would rip the wings off.
Probably one of those black triangles that do the other!
Use to see them land at Osan AFB, Korea. Always had a chase car helping the pilot out.
You do understand that the U-2 is to the F-35 is to the B-52 in the same way a Prius is to a Ferrari is to a semi-tractor pulling a 53' cargo trailer.
Totally different vehicles/aircraft, totally different missions.
In football, think Running Back (F-35), Offensive Lineman (b-52 and a Field Goal Kicker (U-2) who consistently makes 50 yard + field goals.
“I knew a guy who flew U-2s. He said it was very difficult to land because of the great amount of lift from the wings.”
Our son has a HS buddy whose wife (Both are AF lifers) who was asst. Base Commander @ BEale AFB in Northern California. He has actually ridden in one of the Pontiac Firebirds they use to “talk the U2’s onto the runway. Once they are “rolling out” other chase vehicles come out to attach the outriggers to the ends of the wings. He was told that at the altitudes they fly they are only marginally stable and have a very narrow airspeed range between stall and VNE.
wow
Totally incorrect. The U2 was basically a glider with a jet engine. It could fly at extreme altitudes up in "coffin corner." Its radar image was that of a barn door. Its only defense was altitude. The Russians were never able to shoot it down until they had SAMS that could reach that altitude.
“NASA will never accomplish anything again.”
NASA had NO role in the design and production of the U2 or SR-71.
Skunk Works (pronounced ‘skonk’).
A third carrying their gear?
I didn’t even know they still used the U2
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