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| Development of the U-2 began in the spring of 1954 to meet a joint CIA/USAF requirement for a high-altitude strategic reconnaissance and special-purpose research aircraft. It took place in the Lockheed 'Skunk Works' at Burbank, California, where - after acceptance of the design in late 1954 - two prototypes were hand-built in great secrecy by a small team of engineers. The aircraft's true purpose was cloaked under the USAF U-for-Utility designation U-2, and the first flight took place on or about 1 August 1955.
At about the same time US President Dwight D. Eisenhower was proposing his 'Open Skies' policy, one of mutual East/West aerial reconnaissance of territories. President Eisenhower hoped that his policy would reduce tension between East and West, thus preventing the growth of the nuclear arms race. Unfortunately the Soviet Union would have nothing to do with this proposal. Consequently 'Kelly' Johnson's new 'spy plane' assumed greater importance. The prototypes were followed by production of about 48 single-seat U-2A and U-2B with differing power plant, and five two-seat U-2D. Some U-2B were converted later to U-2D standard. An additional batch of 12 U-2R was ordered in 1967. A new version, known as the TR-1, is currently in production as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft, equipped with a variety of electronic sensors.
The requirement for high altitude and long range posed enormous problems: the former needed an aircraft with low wing loading, the latter large quantities of heavy fuel to confer the necessary range. Therefore the U-2 is of very lightweight construction, dispensing with conventional landing gear and pressurisation to save extra weight, and having wings of large area. Landing gear is of bicycle type with single wheels fore and aft, and balanced on the ground by wing-tip 'pogos' - a strut and wheel device which drops away when the U-2 becomes airborne - was selected. The pilot is accommodated on a light-weight seat, dressed in a semi-pressure suit with his head enclosed in an astronaut-type helmet, and forced to breathe pure oxygen for his survival. A medium-powered turbojet is adequate to lift this lightweight aircraft, and long range is possible by shutting it down and gliding for long periods.
In addition to photo and electronic reconnaissance, U-2 were used for weather reconnaissance, high-altitude research, measurement of radiation levels, and for the tracking and recovery of space capsules. They were used for reconnaissance during the Cuban crisis, in Vietnam and during the Arab-Israeli conflict.
 | A three-view drawing (752 x 771) |
| MODEL | U-2C, on service with NASA |
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x Pratt-Whitney J75-P-13B, 7711kg |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 10225 kg | 22542 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 24.38 m | 80 ft 0 in |
| Length | 15.24 m | 50 ft 0 in |
| Height | 4.57 m | 15 ft 0 in |
| Wing area | 52.49 m2 | 565.00 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Cruise speed | 740 km/h | 460 mph |
| Ceiling | 27000 m | 88600 ft |
| Range | 4635 km | 2880 miles |
 | A three-view drawing (678 x 756) |
| SSGT Sho-Nuff, 06.04.2011 20:06 1998-2006 U-2 Crew Chief stationed out of Beale AFB. Also 1 year as a Black Cat in Osan AB during that time. Many trips to the Middle East supporting Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. I worked on the very last R model and obviously the S models. The "Glass" cockpit was a later version of the S model. By the way... These unmanned Recon birds dont have anywhere close the capability the U-2 does. Just longer flight hours because there is no actual pilot in the seat. Long live the Deuce! reply | | Art, e-mail, 28.03.2011 07:03 I was one of the U-2 squadron navigators and thoroughly enjoyed working with some fine pilots. Some were a little short though. reply | | Ron Cade, e-mail, 02.02.2011 23:44 The words to express the wonderment of this vehicle are yet to come. As a Photo Interpretera and previously B-47 crew chief I am still in awe, not only of the airplane but the people who designed it and all those who keep putting it in the air. It is a workhorse that really paid its way. Cheers! reply | | Phil Carmichael, e-mail, 18.12.2010 03:33 I was with the first USAF group (known as FOG)to operate the U2 from the Watertown Airstrip also known as The Ranch in the middle of the AEC test site. Col. Jack Nole was our commander from the time we organized at the ranch in mid-1956 until I left 4028th at Laughlin AFB in August 1958. Our team maintained all the Hycon and PerkinElmer camera systems on the aircraft after extensive factory training. All USAF aircraft were delivered from the skunk works by C124's in their natural aluminum color. Other U2's, those operated by CIA, were all black, tail numbers in yellow, and NACA markings. This was before the days of NASA. We regularly commuted from March Air Force Base in C47s to the ranch on Monday and departed on Friday back to March. Several times we were evacuated in advance of aboveground nuclear tests. They did not want us to get dusted with the fallout. Any of you old FOG troops out there yet? Huey Lewing? Fred Revils? Jim ??
Comment: Some of our pilots commented about the aircraft handling characteristics in turns at altitude. Turns had to be gentle so that you did not get one wingtip stall while the other wingtip had gone supersonic.
This is one of the best periods of my life. reply | |
| | Daniel Gunter, e-mail, 26.10.2010 03:34 Great aircraft, worked on the R,C and C /T models while in DM AFB and then again (when the recon outfits merged) at Beale AFB from 1974 until 1982. Great bunch of guys to work with, when we were TDY anywhere we made sure the airplane was ready for her next mission (which we flew everyday)no matter what shop you were in you helped out the other shops so we could all go downtown and party. Any Black Cats out there??? Oscar can you hear me???
The S model is better than the R model if you can believe it smaller motor and a "glass" cockpit. If anyone goes by Beale AFB go check it out, call ahead to find out when they have tours. reply | | Ray L., e-mail, 28.09.2010 07:02 My fondest memories from Laughlin AFB in the early 60s are flying in the right seat of a U3A (Cessna 310) chasing U2s. We were the safety pilot for the single pilot U2 during practice instrument approaches.
I was a tower controller and sincerely enjoyed working the the U2 and their crews, just wish I could have flown in one.
The aircraft in the picture looks like one from Laughlin in 1962, tail number is the right series. The U2s were not painted black until after they left Laughlin in 1963. reply | | SandMFlyer, e-mail, 27.09.2010 19:53 THis is the most amazing aircraft ever built. From pencil on paper to flying in just over a year shows that American innovation was next to non in those days! Yes pencil and paper, no computers with aerodynamic models programmed in. Men and women using thier brains, lets try it again someday. reply | | Ta-183, 15.05.2010 17:17 THis plane sucks so bad I feel bad for Rudolf Anderson.
Look up Cuban Missile Crisis reply | | Doug Rodrigues, e-mail, 13.03.2010 12:07 Both this bird and the B-52 look nothing like what they were when I was in the Air Force in the mid 1960's. One humorous story which can probably be found on the internet is a U-2 pilot calling ARTC and requesting Flt.level 700. The Controller asked, "and what makes you think you can get up to 70,000 ? The pilot replies, "Oh, I don't want to go up to 70,000...I want to come down to 70,000." reply | | dude, 21.09.2009 13:25 u should c U2-R reply | | Ed Smart, e-mail, 15.05.2008 21:01 As the aircraft climbed enroute to its cruising altitude of 68,000 to 72,000 feet it passed through a "chimney" in the atmosphere wherein the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft caused the mach buffet and the stall buffet to approach to within less than 10 KIAS of each other. Since initial mach buffet and stall buffet are similar, the normal procedure was to reduce speed by 1 or 2 knots to see if the buffet got better or worse and airspeed was then adjusted accordingly. Once above the "chimney" the spread improved somewhat. (U-2 pilot, 1962-1966) reply | | Don Burritt, e-mail, 07.05.2008 21:31 Why did the pilot have only + or - 6 degrees of pitch or decent when flying at max alitude? It was stated by a pilot if that envolpe was exceeded it wou stall , or come apart. reply |
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