{"id":2272,"date":"2014-09-15T14:42:32","date_gmt":"2014-09-15T14:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.migflug.com\/jetflights\/?p=2272"},"modified":"2026-07-17T10:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:40:57","slug":"remarkable-airplanes-2-high-altitude-aircraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/remarkable-airplanes-2-high-altitude-aircraft\/","title":{"rendered":"Remarkable airplanes \u2013 #2: Lockheed U-2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify\">During the 1950s the Americans saw a pressing need for a reconnaissance aircraft to spy on the Soviets\u00a0during the Cold War. They had been using old bombers and modified RB-47s, but the Russians had significantly improved their anti-aircraft defence systems and interceptors putting these low-altitude aircraft at great risk of being shot down. A high-altitude aircraft was needed, but after the Second World War the best option available to the Allies was the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/english-electric-canberra\">English Electric Canberra<\/a>, capable of reaching only 14,600 metres. What was needed was an entirely new design capable of surveilling from above 18,300 metres \u2014 safely beyond the reach of Soviet interceptors and missiles. The answer - The Lockheed <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/u-2-dragon-lady\">U-2<\/a> Dragon Lady.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:20px 0;\"><iframe style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jpUdxZRpUz8\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: justify\">Small Margins<\/h1>\n<div style=\"width: 236px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img data-opt-id=1708305561  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/img1.findthebest.com\/sites\/default\/files\/1617\/media\/images\/t2\/Lockheed_U-2_Dragon_Lady_538742_i0.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"151\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">The U-2 Dragon Lady. Notice its huge 31.4 m wingspan!<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Introduced in 1957, the U-2 is remarkably still in use today. This puts it on the list of very few aircraft that has flown with the USAF for more than 50 years. It has a service ceiling of 21,000m and has therefore been very effective when surveilling the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam and Cuba. But how can it be able to fly this high? The answer is its light air frame, large wing span and big engines. The later model, TU-2S, \u00a0features the 84.5kN General Electric F118. This might not sound much, but since the whole U-2 only weighs 18.1 tons (max weight) the engine is perfect for its mission. The U-2 can fly for 12 hours without refueling, covering a distance of 10,300 kilometers with a cruise speed of 690 km\/h and a max speed of 805. The speed that it had to reach to be able to climb\u00a0to this altitude (ie the ideal speed) was only 19km\/h under its stall speed. This means that if going 19km over the ideal speed the engine would stall, breaking the super fragile aircraft to pieces, and going under the limit would make it drop in altitude to a level where enemy anti-aircraft defences were within firing range. Therefore the pilots called this range of 19km\/h the \u201ccoffin corner\u201d.<\/p>\n\n<h1 style=\"text-align: justify\">Great glider becomes horrible lander<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The aircraft is built to be easy to control at high altitudes, but at lower height the air has a higher density and so the U-2 gets very hard to control. It requires a lot of physical strength to steer it at the low altitudes of the runway, and due to its great glider capabilities, it floats over the runway, making the landing extremely hard. Usually there is a chase car and a second U-2 pilot assisting the pilot of the descending U-2 with information such as angle of descent and declining aircraft height. Since these cars need to have high speeds it is actually not any special-built Air Force vehicles but normal Chevrolet Camaros and Ford <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/p-51-mustang\">Mustangs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h1 style=\"text-align: justify\">The \"unbalanced\" aircraft<\/h1>\n<div style=\"width: 274px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img data-opt-id=1901416163  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/grahampilot.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/04\/u-2_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"264\" height=\"179\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A U-2 at touchdown showing its \"bicycle\" landing gear.<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The U-2\u2019s landing gear is of a rather unusual configuration since it only features two wheels - one in the front and one in the back, making it look like a bicycle. Before taxiing the ground crew installs extra wheels called \u201cpogos\u201d under each wing who are then disconnected from the aircraft right after takeoff to reduce weight. When landing, the wings have a titanium skid at the very tip, protecting the wings from damage. When the aircraft has come to a complete halt, the ground crew once again installs pogos under the wings and begin to taxi the U-2 to its hangar. The rear landing gear is coupled to the rudder and so the pilot can provide some steering during taxiing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The crew (ie the pilot since the U-2 is a one-seat aircraft) wears a special pressurized suit, just like on the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/sr-71-blackbird\">Blackbird<\/a>, in case of a pressure fall in the cockpit. The pilot can take both drink and food with him in small special containers when having long duration flights however many of the pilots choose not to, and can therefore lose as much as 6 pounds of body weight on a single mission. When the Dragon Lady was new, it was possible to bring a suicide pill when going on a mission, capable of killing you within 15 seconds. The reason was the\u00a0danger of being shot down and captured flying over the USSR or Eastern Europe. However after an incident when a pilot almost swallowed his pill due to its resemblance to a piece of candy, it was removed.<\/p>\n\n<h1 style=\"text-align: justify\">50 years of U-2 development<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">As you would expect of an aircraft that has been in service for more than 50 years, there has been a wide variety of models and improvements of the Dragon Lady. Some of the most important improvements with their new designations are displayed in the table below:<\/p>\n\n<table style=\"height: 363px\" width=\"477\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>U-2A<\/td>\n<td>Initial production with a single seat. 48 copies built.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>U-2B<\/td>\n<td>Two seats. 5 made.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>U-2E<\/td>\n<td>Aerial refueling capability added.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>U-2G<\/td>\n<td>Three of these were made by modifying previous models. Among other things they got a reinforced landing gear, arresting hook and lift dump spoilers (for US Navy carriers).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>U-2R<\/td>\n<td>14 built. A new design featuring increased fuel capacity, bigger airframe and underwing pods.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>TR-1A<\/td>\n<td>After the fall of the Soviet Union the 33 TR-1A were renamed to U-2S. They featured side-looking radar, better avionics and improved ECM equipment. They were used for high-altitude tactical reconnaissance.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ER-2<\/td>\n<td>ER-2 was two TR-1As modified to be used by NASA as earth resources research aircraft.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>U-2S<\/td>\n<td>Redesignation of the TR-1A \/ U-2Rthat were improved with a new engine, better sensors and GPS. 31 vehicles were converted to U-2S.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>WU-2<\/td>\n<td>Atmospheric\/weather research model.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div style=\"width: 367px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-opt-id=1501443229  data-opt-src=\"http:\/\/www.456fis.org\/THE%20U-2\/u2-A.jpg\"  decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20100%%20100%%22%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20fill%3D%22transparent%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"\" width=\"357\" height=\"268\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Dragon Lady without underwing pods indicating\u00a0that it is a U-2H (not showed in table) or earlier.<\/p><\/div>\n<h1>End of the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady<\/h1>\n<div style=\"width: 248px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img data-opt-id=1138126587  data-opt-src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-_3hcI7-P_WU\/UtpNqHFl_mI\/AAAAAAAAux0\/4yCpHtlW49w\/s1600\/U2%2526RQ-4.JPG\"  decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20100%%20100%%22%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20fill%3D%22transparent%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"\" width=\"238\" height=\"154\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">The competitors - A RQ-4 Global hawk (front) together with a two-seat U-2 (back).<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">As you can see the Dragon Lady was a beast at its introduction and is still a great aircraft that has served with the USAF as well as with NASA and CIA. It was a lifesaver for American intelligence gathering services during the Cold War and made it possible for the Americans to spy on the Russians well out of range of anti-aircraft defence. But as with all great inventions there will come something greater eventually. To the U-2 that might be the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk. The Global Hawk is an UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) which has a service ceiling of 18,000 meters and can stay in the air for 28 hours. This change, which was made public in 2001, is to start taking place in 2016. However some politicians have made complaints about this as they claim that the U-2 will still be more cost-efficient than the RQ-4.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\n\n<ul>\n\t<li>Read the first article of the series (about the Blackbird) <a title=\"Remarkable Airplanes \u2013 #1: The Fastest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.migflug.com\/jetflights\/remarkable-airplanes-of-the-world-part-1-the-fastest.html\">here.<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li>Interested in naval warfare? Learn about different designations of vessels <a title=\"Classifications of Naval Vessels\" href=\"https:\/\/www.migflug.com\/jetflights\/classifications-of-naval-vessels.html\">here!<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li>Read about a giant Russian bomber project from the 30's <a title=\"The giant Bomber of the 30\u2032s \u2013 Kalinin K-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.migflug.com\/jetflights\/the-giant-bomber-of-the-30s-kalinin-k-7.html\">here.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul>\n\t<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Militaryfactory.com<\/li>\n\t<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Pedlow and Welzenbach 1992<\/li>\n\t<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Blackbirds.net<\/li>\n\t<li style=\"text-align: justify\">LAtimes.com<\/li>\n\t<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Flightglobal.com<\/li>\n\t<li style=\"text-align: justify\"><i>Invention &amp; Technology Magazine<\/i>, Volume 22 by Huntington, Tom<\/li>\n\t<li style=\"text-align: justify\">www2.gwu.edu<\/li>\n\t<li style=\"text-align: justify\">NYtimes.com<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}.mf-faq-answer a{color:#5C91FF}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady is a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft introduced in 1957. Built to spy on the Soviet Union from above the reach of interceptors and missiles, it has a service ceiling around 21,000 metres and a glider-like 31.4-metre wingspan.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why can the U-2 fly so high?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The U-2 combines a very light airframe, an enormous wingspan and a powerful engine, such as the General Electric F118 on later models. Because the whole aircraft weighs only about 18 tonnes, it can climb to extreme altitudes and cruise there for up to 12 hours.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is the coffin corner in a U-2?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>At extreme altitude the U-2's stall speed and maximum speed are only about 19 km\/h apart, a narrow band pilots call the \"coffin corner.\" Fly too slow and it stalls; too fast and it risks structural failure or descends into enemy missile range.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why is the U-2 so hard to land?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The U-2's glider-like wing makes it float over the runway, and it becomes very hard to control in dense low-altitude air. Landings are usually guided by a second U-2 pilot in a high-speed chase car who radios the descending pilot the aircraft's height and attitude.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Is the U-2 still in service?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Despite being introduced in 1957, the U-2 has served for over 50 years and remains in use. Its retirement has been proposed and postponed repeatedly; read about the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/u-2-dragon-lady-reprieve-fy2027-congress-blocks-retirement-2026\/\">U-2 Dragon Lady reprieve<\/a>. The CIA even once <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/project-whale-tale-u-2-carrier-operations-cia\/\">landed a U-2 on an aircraft carrier<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady is a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft introduced in 1957. Built to spy on the Soviet Union from above the reach of interceptors and missiles, it has a service ceiling around 21,000 metres and a glider-like 31.4-metre wingspan.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why can the U-2 fly so high?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The U-2 combines a very light airframe, an enormous wingspan and a powerful engine, such as the General Electric F118 on later models. 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Landings are usually guided by a second U-2 pilot in a high-speed chase car who radios the descending pilot the aircraft's height and attitude.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is the U-2 still in service?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Despite being introduced in 1957, the U-2 has served for over 50 years and remains in use. Its retirement has been proposed and postponed repeatedly; read about the latest <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/u-2-dragon-lady-reprieve-fy2027-congress-blocks-retirement-2026\/\\\">U-2 Dragon Lady reprieve<\/a>. The CIA even once <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/project-whale-tale-u-2-carrier-operations-cia\/\\\">landed a U-2 on an aircraft carrier<\/a>.\"}}]}<\/script><!-- \/mf-faq -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During the 1950s the Americans saw a pressing need for a reconnaissance aircraft to spy on the Soviets\u00a0during the Cold War. They had been using old bombers and modified RB-47s, but the Russians had significantly improved their anti-aircraft defence systems and interceptors putting these low-altitude aircraft at great risk of being shot down. A high-altitude [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665,666,664,11,13,17],"tags":[59,91,93,120,125,272,408,575,585],"class_list":["post-2272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation","category-photography","category-reconnaissance","category-uav","tag-american","tag-best-aircraft-of-the-20th-century","tag-best-surveillance","tag-cia","tag-cold-war-information-gathering","tag-high-altitude","tag-nasa","tag-u-2-dragon-lady","tag-usaf"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Remarkable Airplanes #2: The Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady has been flying at extreme altitudes since 1957 and remains in service today. 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