U-2 Spy Plane
The SR-71 Blackbird Is Remembered for More Than Speed and Stealth
The fastest aircraft to ever roam the skies may surprise you. While newer fighter jets like the U.S.-made F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II probably come to mind, the record...
I Toured the Cold War Museum and Met Francis Gary Powers, Jr.
I recently visited the Cold War Museum in Vint Hill, Virginia, with a friend and received a personalized tour from the museum’s founder and chairman, Francis Gary Powers, Jr. Gary is the son...
The F-111 Aardvark ‘Was the Destroyer of Everything’
When the F-111 first entered service during the Cold War, it became the first platform capable of performing in multiple roles to fly the skies. The “Aardvark” also represented the...
How U-2 Spy Planes Flew from U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers
Summary and Key Points: The U-2 spy plane’s vulnerability after the 1960 incident led the CIA to consider aircraft carrier operations. -By 1963, after initial resistance, a secret project named...
U-2 Spy Planes’ Spectacular ‘Elephant Walk’ at Beale AFB: A Glimpse into Aviation History and the End of an Era
Summary: Some fortunate U.S. military personnel experienced the awe-inspiring sight of eight U-2 spy planes in a rare ‘Elephant Walk’ at Beale Air Force Base, California. This showcase of joint...
The Old U-2 Spy Plane Has One Mission Only
Lockheed Martin’s U-2 Dragon Lady made its first flight back in September with an updated avionics system. According to the manufacturer, the Avionics Tech Refresh (ATR) fitted onto the airframe...
End of an Era: Legendary U-2 Spy Plane Retires Its Film Cameras
The U-2 Dragon Lady, one of the United States’ most important reconnaissance assets during the Cold War, is finally saying goodbye to its analog photography equipment, the Optical Bar Camera....
Could the U-2 Spy Plane Have Become a Navy Killer?
Here’s What You Need to Know: The AGM-53 Condor missile was riddled with issues and setbacks throughout its development in the latter half of the 1960s. In the later years of...
Why the U-2 Spy Plane Never Carried Missiles
Here’s What You Need to Remember: Today, there are more than 30 U-2s in operational service filling a wider variety of roles than ever. In the later years of the Cold...
The United States Even Flew the U-2 Spy Plane From Aircraft Carriers
Here’s What You Need to Remember: Lockheed’s modified U-2 for aircraft carrier duty was dubbed the U-2G, and it saw a number of changes to the original design. Landing a U-2...
“Everything Had To Be Invented”: Creating the SR-71 Blackbird
By the early 1960s, Lockheed’s “Skunk Works” experimental aircraft division had become recognized as one of the preeminent design firms of the twentieth century. The team there, led by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson,...
America Attempted to Fly the U-2 Spy Plane From Aircraft Carriers
Here’s What You Need to Know: No U-2 has ever entered operational service with the U.S. Navy. Landing a U-2 on a conventional airstrip is often considered to be one of...