![]() After hasty repairs the U-2 was flown off.Ī few days later, Schumacher and CIA pilots made several successful takeoffs from and landings on Ranger. In that first landing, the hook engaged, but the rear of the U-2 tipped up and the nose dug into the deck, breaking the pitot tube. He then made the first full landing of a U-2 aboard a ship. Schumacher made a series of touch-and-go landings aboard the carrier Ranger steaming off the California coast. The first successful carrier landing of a U-2G occurred March 2, 1964. In preparation for further carrier operations, Schumacher and several other CIA pilots were checked out in the Navy’s T-2A Buckeye jet trainer and made practice landings on the training carrier Lexington. These aircraft were designated as U-2Gs and painted with N-series civilian serial numbers and Office of Naval Research markings. It gave them stronger landing gear, an arresting hook, and wing “spoilers” capable of canceling aerodynamic lift when the aircraft came over the deck. The Navy then performed modifications to three U-2A variants. The aircraft bounced, hit hard on one wingtip, and then just barely managed to become airborne again before reaching the end of the deck.” A CIA report said, “Although the takeoff was very successful, the attempted landing was not. Next, Schumacher made a number of practice approaches, and he then commenced landing. 5), as the ship steamed off the California coast, Lockheed test pilot Bob Schumacher took off with a full fuel load and with a deck run of 321 feet. In the dead of night, a Navy crane lifted a U-2 onto the deck of the carrier Kitty Hawk, which was based at North Island naval air station in San Diego. ![]() The airplane had plenty of power for a wave-off during landing.Ĭarrier flight tests commenced in August 1963. The carrier could provide 30 knots of wind over deck into the face of the aircraft, resulting in a closing speed of just 50 knots. Its slow approach speed made arrested landings relatively easy, with the carrier’s arresting cables kept at their lowest setting. The glider-like configuration of the U-2 made it capable of taking off unassisted from a carrier when there was a high wind-over-deck factor. In mid-1963 the CIA initiated Project Whale Tale, the goal of which was to adapt U-2s for carrier operation. Bissell, head of the CIA’s U-2 program, recalled, “Navy officials seemed interested when I approached them, but the Air Force refused to participate.” Thus, in the late 1950s, the CIA came up with the idea of operating U-2s from carriers at sea. This was a time when satellites & geo-positioning were still far from perfected, and Soviet air defenses made it impossible for traditional recon/bomber planes like the B-52 to carry out these activities.During 44 years of service with the Central Intelligence Agency and Air Force, the U-2 spyplane has been flown from bases in the United States, Britain, Cyprus, France, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, South Vietnam, and a few other places.Īnd it has been operated from aircraft carriers.Įven with an operational radius of some 3,000 miles, U-2s flying out of “safe” land bases could not reach every single area of interest to the United States intelligence community. The end of World War II kicked off the Cold War, and America was in dire need of an aircraft that could transmit back accurate information about Soviets plans & projects. It is because of its robustness and reliability that, to this day, the U-2 is still in service. It has a surface ceiling of 70,000 feet and can be equipped with a variety of sensory and communications systems for spying purposes. It’s operated by the United States Airforce and also by the CIA it can provide information from 70,000 feet all day and night which is perfect for gathering information. It is used to gather all-weather intelligence. This is a single jet engine plane and can fly ultra-high. The Lockheed U-2 also known as the “Dragon Lady” is a high altitude recon aircraft that was built in 1957 to gather a range of information while cruising at undetectable high altitudes.
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