U-2 Dragon Lady
The U-2 spy plane flies at the edge of space above 95 percent of Earth's atmosphere, enabling it to skirt normal anti-aircraft missiles.The first U-2 was hand-built in 1952 by Lockheed engineers and went into service in 1955, making surveillance flights over the Soviet Union.
The aircraft was completed within eight months and exceeded expectations. It had a flight radius of 3000 nautical miles, and a maximum safe altitude of 70,000 feet, 20,000 feet higher than Russian interceptors, making the U2 the most difficult plane to engage at the time.
The long, straight wings give the U-2 glider-like characteristics. It can carry a variety of sensors and cameras and is an extremely reliable reconnaissance aircraft.Because it has to fly at high altitude, the pilot must wear a full pressure suit. As a physical environment, space begins around 125 miles above the earth; but as a physiological environment, it begins at 50,000 feet - the space equivalent zone.Flying in this zone requires the protection of a full pressure suit to protect from the high altitude hazards of hypoxia, decompression sickness, Armstrong's Line, and extreme cold.
Current models are derived from the original version that made its first flight in August 1955. On Oct. 14, 1962, it was the U-2 that photographed the Soviet military installing offensive missiles in Cuba.
The U-2R, first flown in 1967, is 40 percent larger than the original U-2 designed by Kelly Johnson in the mid fifties. Current U-2R models are being re-engined and will be designated as a U-2S/ST. The Air Force accepted the first U-2S in October, 1994. The last R model trainer was converted to an S model trainer in 1999.
A tactical reconnaissance version, the TR-1A, first flew in August 1981 and was delivered to the Air Force the next month. Designed for stand-off tactical reconnaissance in Europe, the TR-1 was structurally identical to the U-2R. Operational TR-1A's were used by the 17th Reconnaissance Wing, Royal Air Force Station Alconbury, England, starting in February 1983.
During the five months of Desert Shield the U-2 flew 284 sorties and 2,726.2 hours averaging nearly 57 sorties and over 545 hours per month. During the six weeks of Desert Storm the U-2 flew 260 sorties and 2,022.5 hours averaging over 43 sorties and 337 hours per week. The U-2 provided approximately 50% of all imagery intelligence and 30 percent of the total intelligence for the war.
In 1992 all TR-1s and U-2s were redesignated U-2R, the Air Force planed to keep the U-2 in service through the year 2020.
In early 2006, the Pentagon decided to have the U-2 retired by the year 2011. On April 11 however, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Air Force told a House oversight panel they were reconsidering the retirement plans because of concerns a SIGINT-gap may emerge.
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