The book is particularly interesting for the chapters on the. Contentsshow description the aircraft was developed by the advanced development projects unit also known as lockheed martin skunk works of the aircraft manufacturer lockheed as a. The evolution documentary almost takes you on board the spyplane at 70,000 feet september 19, 2012 david cenciotti military aviation 2 stunning footage. Due to the age of the remaining u2 fleet, the dragon lady may be retired and replaced by unmanned aircraft like the rq4 global hawk.
In fact, a test program to do just that is underway. During the cuban missle crisis, des portes had to simulatneously manage the missing u2 spyplane over the soviet union for one and onequarter hours and the shootdown of a u2 over cuba. The 380th aew is in a unique position as the only wing in the u. We are aware of 10 similar reference publications related to lockheed u2. None of our partner shops or mates has this currently for sale. The reunion at beale is being organized by tony bevacqua, who was one of the original air force u 2 pilots. The author, chris pocock, is known around the world as one of the foremost experts on the u 2. Francis gary powers august 17, 1929 august 1, 1977 was an american pilot whose central intelligence agency cia u2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in soviet union airspace, causing the 1960 u2 incident. However, it is not just the diversity of mission sets that sets the wing apart. Jan 01, 2018 the lockheed u2, nicknamed dragon lady, is an american singlejet engine, ultrahigh altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the united states air force usaf and previously flown by the central intelligence agency cia.
In this square format, some of the photos are small but still very much worth seeing. Dragon lady, is by far the most accurate unclassified account of. Welcome to the progressive build of the new afv club 148 u2a dragon lady sprue test shots. The long story of the dragon lady is amazing, and complex. U2 dragon lady flights resume after sutter buttes spy. Operating the aircraft was a challenge, and author chris pocock does a good job of mixing technical information with personal stories of operating the u2. The lockheed u2, nicknamed dragon lady, is an american singlejet engine, high altitude. For body wear, traditionally dragon ladies have been.
He subsequently identified it out of a book as a u2, which was registered as a weather reconnaissance aircraft to the us weather service at the. Navy is employing tools it used in the search for the missing malaysian airlines flight 370 to help find a japanese f35a that crashed earlier this month, u. The remarkable lockheed martin u2 dragon lady highflying spy plane celebrated its 60th birthday in 2015. The vautour came within visual range and the u2 was successfully photographed. I am chris pocock, and i have been following this remarkable aircraft for over 30 years.
Lockheed u2 nickname dragon lady is an american singlejet engine, ultrahigh altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the usaf and. Chris has other books on the u2 which i have read, and which keep me up to date to what is happening in the middle east with the war with isis. Sixty years after it began flying intelligence missions for the cia, and with a planned retirement looming in just a few years, the storied u2 spy plane may be reborn in a new 21stcentury form. What follows is a tale of coverup, lies, and, of course, spying. Empress dowager cixi, unsatisfied with her tomb, ordered its destruction and reconstruction in 1895. The u2 operated at an altitude which was hoped would be far higher than soviet interceptors or surfacetoair missiles could reach. This book covers usage of the dragon lady in the years following his monster 2005 history of the u2. Over the skies of red square in moscow, the soviet union had just introduced its newest bomber the myasishchev m4, ominously nicknamed hammer. The secret history of the u2 a justreleased cia report pulls the covers off americas most famous spy plane and area 51. When the u2 first took off in 1955, no one involved in its topsecret project dreamt that this unique reconnaissance aircraft would still be flying today.
During the cuban missle crisis, des portes had to simulatneously manage the missing u 2 spyplane over the soviet union for one and onequarter hours and the shootdown of a u 2 over cuba. Dec 16, 2018 afv club dragon lady progressive build. Opinion flying with the dragon lady the new york times. The author, chris pocock, is known around the world as one of the foremost experts on the u2. If you have read dragon lady today, you will already know that nasa flies two u2s from palmdale that are specially configured for science missions. The lockheed u2, nicknamed dragon lady, is an american singlejet engine, ultrahigh altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the united states air force usaf and previously flown by the central intelligence agency cia. The u2 dragon lady gained notoriety when one flown by francis gary powers, a former sac f84 pilot was shot down during and intelligence gathering mission over the soviet union on may 1, 1960. A u2 dragon lady flies over the airfield at beale air force base, calif. Sep 23, 2015 the last u 2 and tr1 aircraft were delivered in october 1989. These upgrades also included the transition to the ge f118101 engine which resulted in the redesignation of all air force u 2 aircraft to the. The dragon lady first appeared in one of the first terry and the pirates sunday comic strips.
Colonel jack nole commander of the 4028th strategic recon squadron, had the. File photo an air force u2 dragon lady flies a training mission. It has been called the black lady of espionage and the mata hari of a. With heightened tensions mounting in the cold war, president dwight eisenhowers request for more accurate intelligence information on the soviet union was the spark that ignited the u2 project. Dragon lady u2 breaking defense defense industry news. The u 2 dragon lady on may 1, 1954, despite the breezy spring weather, leaders across washington d. Dragon lady history chris pocock explores u2 spyplane. This is the panorama you get from the cockpit of a legendary u2 dragon lady aircraft. The u2 flies at 70,000ft 21,336m, gathering surveillance and signals intelligence data in real time from anywhere in the world. But todays u2 dragon lady is a fully modernised reconnaissance aircraft, capable of serving the u. Writer milton caniff based her of real asian pirate lai choi san, and as such she was named.
Jun 10, 2017 lockheed u 2 nickname dragon lady is an american singlejet engine, ultrahigh altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the usaf and previously flown by the central intelligence agency cia. This page is for those is for those are fascinated with the u2, who flew her, maintained her, supported her operations in any way, or just. Air force colonel merryl tengesdal started out in the navy flying helicopters but ended up becoming the first africanamerican woman to fly the air forces u2 dragon lady spy plane tengesdal. The proven, agile and reliable u 2s dragon lady flies 247365 to ensure global security with unparalleled performance.
The u 2s remains in service today and has seen extensive use over iraq and afghanistan. Central command area of responsibility that supports all five air force core missions, said goldfein. This book covers usage of the dragon lady in the years following his monster 2005 history of the u 2. File photo the u2 provides continuous day or night, highaltitude, allweather, standoff.
Lockheed u2 dragon lady warbird tech series volume 16. You never knew what to expect when you took it into the air, no matter how seasoned a pilot you were. Dragon lady history chris pocock explores u2 spyplane history. U2 dragon lady forum dragon lady today u2 dragon lady.
An example of headwear for dragon lady costumes is the hakka hat or other headdresses with eastern inspiration. Air force, lockheed martin, collins aerospace complete u. With page turning suspense, this book looks at the incredible true history of one of the united states greatest spying stories. Removable outrigger gear located away from the fuselage centreline is used to lighten the weight of the airborne aircraft. May 23, 2017 as i noted in dragon lady today, the alreadysuper performance of the radar imaging system on the u2 could be significantly enhanced by upgrading it with an active electronicallyscanned antenna aesa. The new tomb was a complex of temples, gates, and pavilions, covered with gold leaf, and with gold and gildedbronze ornaments hanging from the beams and the eaves. Air force airman 1st class gangyoung seo, 9th physiological support squadron launch and recovery technician, communicates to air force capt. The lockheed u 2 dragon lady is a single engine, reconnaissance and espionage aircraft, that is used by the united states air force and it is probably one of the most commonly known espionage aircraft ever built. Early history of the u2 dragon lady code one magazine. The u2 highaltitude reconnaissance aircraft, also known as the dragon lady. It provides day and night, highaltitude 70,000 feet, 21,300 meters, allweather intelligence gathering.
Chris pocock may know more about the u2 than anyone who doesnt possess a very high security clearance. U2 spy plane cockpit view at 70,000 feet gung ho vids. Dragon lady today u2 dragon lady latest news and books. In 2005, i wrote 50 years of the u2, a megahardback which has become thestandardreference book on the aircrafts history. The u2 reconnaissance aircraft, though designed and developed in great secrecy five decades ago, has somehow never fully emerged from the shadows even though it has outlasted one successor, the sr71 blackbird, and its. Some have writing on the back and others have a small amount of glue from sample books.
With a unique, modular design, the u2s demonstrates and. At the height of the cold war in 1960, an american u2 spy plane was shot down over the soviet airspace. Tif ray wagner was archivist at the san diego air and space museum for several years and is an author of several books on aviation please tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file. In chronological order, a few visual highlights from a long history. It has been called the black lady of espionage and the mata hari of airplanes but to the men that flew and maintained her, the lockheed u2 was known simply as the dragon lady. By the time that cia pilot francis gary powers was shot. Article on the early history of the u2 dragon lady. Data below for u 2c, u 2r, and u 2s where indicated last modified 02 may 2011. Nicknamed the dragon lady, the u2 has flown over cuba, alaska, north. I published dragon lady in 1989, the first of my four volumes on the u 2. The u 2 dragon is one of the most difficult aircraft to fly, soaring at heights where a few knots adjustment could mean stall or over speed and making it land is an art form all by itself. The future empress dowager cixi was born on the tenth day of the tenth lunar month in the 15th year of the reign of the daoguang emperor 29 november 1835. Air force airmen push down on the wing of a u2 dragon lady after its landing at raf fairford, united kingdom, june 9, 2015.
The first black woman to fly a u2 dragon your black world. Her father was huizheng, a member of the bordered blue banner who held the title of a third class duke. The u 2 reconnaissance aircraft, though designed and developed in great secrecy five decades ago, has somehow never fully emerged from the shadows even though it has outlasted one successor, the sr71 blackbird, and its production line has been reopened twice. Paperback it has been called the black lady of espionage and the mata hari of airplanes but to the men that flew and maintained her, the lockheed u2 was known simply as the dragon lady. The lockheed u 2, nicknamed dragon lady, is an american singlejet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the united states air force usaf and previously flown by the central intelligence agency cia. Chris books are the ones read to find out about current u2 and drone technology. Please look over the patch to make sure it is perfect for you. Article on the early history of the u 2 dragon lady. The u 2 operated at an altitude which was hoped would be far higher than soviet interceptors or surfacetoair missiles could reach. Designated er2 er earth resources, these aircraft were delivered in 1981 and 1989 and, like the rest of the u2 fleet, were reengined with the ge f118 engine in.
The cias own historian said that i am the foremost authority on the subject. Jul 15, 2019 i attended my first one in 1987, and it boosted my resolve to write a book about their unique airplane. Sixty years after it began flying intelligence missions for the cia, and with a planned retirement looming in just a few years, the storied u 2 spy plane may be reborn in a new 21stcentury form. U2 veterans to gather at beale afb dragon lady history. Data below for u2c, u2r, and u2s where indicated last modified 02 may 2011. Each volume emphasizes the unique, the groundbreaking, and the technical characteristics of the aircraft. The u2 is still considered today to be one of the most technologically advanced aircraft ever built. The complete illustrated history of lockheeds legendary dragon lady by chris pocock. Dragon lady the history of the u2 spyplane chris pocock. Check out these amazing photos taken by a u2 pilot at the. Apr 12, 2014 u2 spy plane cockpit view at 70,000 feet gung ho vids. Northern edge is alaskas largest and premier joint training exercise designed to practice operations, techniques and procedures as well as enhance interoperability among the services.
This book looks at one of the methods employed by the u. Lockheed u2s dragon lady leaving raf fairford youtube. Missionthe u2 provides highaltitude, allweather surveillance and. Dragon lady by fergus mason overdrive rakuten overdrive. As i noted in dragon lady today, the alreadysuper performance of the radar imaging system on the u2 could be significantly enhanced by upgrading it with an active electronicallyscanned antenna aesa.
On 22 july 1959, after an overflight was detected, an israeli air force vautour jet was deployed to photograph the mysterious aircraft. U2 flights in and out of beale air force base resumed friday, just days after one of the spy planes crashed in the sutter buttes shortly after takeoff. Following a u2s landing, teams work to reattach landing gear. The u2s remains in service today and has seen extensive use over iraq and afghanistan. Air forces ability to operate anytime, anywhere is essential. The 380th aew is made up of approximately 25 percent air national guard and air force reserve. Air force, lockheed martin and collins aerospace systems completed the upgrade of the full u 2 dragon lady fleet with the premier electroopticalinfrared sensor. The u2 is nicknamed the dragon lady for good reason.
May 07, 2010 the u 2 is nicknamed the dragon lady for good reason. Black female u2 pilot broke barriers on the ground and in. Due to the age of the remaining u 2 fleet, the dragon lady may be retired and replaced by unmanned aircraft like the rq4 global hawk. Air force, lockheed martin and collins aerospace systems completed the upgrade of the full u2 dragon lady fleet with the premier electroopticalinfrared sensor. Please email me if you need to get a picture of the back or need the measurements. Colonel jack nole commander of the 4028th strategic recon squadron, had the distinction of landing the first u 2 aircraft at laughlin afb. Check out these amazing photos taken by a u2 pilot at the edge of space. When the u 2 first took off in 1955, no one involved in its topsecret project dreamt that this unique reconnaissance aircraft would still be flying today. The build will be presented as expanded bullet points with accompanying pictures. Think stealth, not aliens this base was a testing ground for planes like the u2, f16, sr71, and even the f117.
Now i have brought the story right up to date in dragon lady today, a smaller but richlyillustrated softcover volume with more than a hundred previouslyunpublished photos. The u2 made its first flight in 1955, and is still flying. Dragon lady characters are visually defined by their emphasis on otherness and sexual promiscuity. Aug 15, 20 the secret history of the u 2 a justreleased cia report pulls the covers off americas most famous spy plane and area 51.