[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

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Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God

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Lord, Please Bless Our Troops, They're fighting for our Freedom.

Prayers going up.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening Hope - thanks for the great Pledge!

[AZamericonnie]

Good evening Miss Hope...hand over heart & prayers up! *Hugs*

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, Hope, for today's Pledge. Very cool! Thanks to you, AfghanMan and Penguin Girl, for your parts in helping keep all of us free and safe.

[alfa6]

Greetings to all the Freepers out there. Time for a quick Saturday Sortie. Tonite we a have brief look at the "Dragon Lady" aka the Lockheed U-2.

Designed in the early 1950s by Lockheed Aircrafts Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, the U-2 first flew in 1955. Yhe U-2 was a very lightly built aircraft which combined the fuselage of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter with large glider like wings. As a weight saving measure the U-2 did not even have landing gear. The U-2 originally took off from a dolly and used skids for landings. Capable of flying at over 70,000 ft at a speed of about 500mph for over a 3,000 mile radius. So on with the pics.

First up a U-2 that is hangiong in the Cold War Hanger at the Air Force Musuem.

Next up a U-2R, IIRC is caught taking off by the camera.

Another U-2 gets airborne.

The Golden Gate Bridge provides a nice backdrop for this U-2.

Another U-2 in flight over a snowy backdrop.

WE close out tonites Sortie with this nite shot of a U-2 undergoing servicing. The long span of the wings show uo rather well in this pic.

Well that's it for now folks I gotta get back to work. Y'all have a safe week and we will see ya next weekend.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}