U-2 carrier landings

[phrogdriver]

Pretty cool footage of U-2s taking off and landing on carriers in the '60s.

I wonder if these guys went to 'Hook.

I did a search already, but somebody with too much time on his hands has probably beaten me to this.

 

[helolumpy]

I loved see the Plane Guard helo in the background. It must have made for some interesting laps in Port D.

 

[Ric]

Not bad for a plane that needs Camaros to chase it down the runway when it lands

 

[Sapper!]

Just got done reading the book "The Skunk Works" by Ben Rich and they talk about the U-2 Carrier operations in there. I didn't realize they were acutally operational for a while. Incredible book if anyone feels like reading it, I promise it won't let you down. Funny that one of Kelly's rules was to never develop anything for the Navy.

 

[helolumpy]

Just got done reading the book "The Skunk Works" by Ben Rich and they talk about the U-2 Carrier operations in there. I didn't realize they were acutally operational for a while. Incredible book if anyone feels like reading it, I promise it won't let you down. Funny that one of Kelly's rules was to never develop anything for the Navy.

Concur with Sapper's recommendation on the book Skunkworks". http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003

 

[Pugs]

I have a book somewhere here on the U-2 that describes the training. Of course it was all USAF or ex-USAF pilots at the time and none of them had any traps so they sent them to VT-4 for the T-2 FAM and some traps. One of them wrote that of course they had to act like cats and traps were no big deal but he was as anxious as any nugget at the boat and found it to be as much fun as he had ever had in a plane. He really admired the nuggets going out with a hundred hours when he had something like 6000 hours by his first trap.

 

[flaps]

the u-2 and the f-104 have the same basic fuselage

 

[Pugs]

the u-2 and the f-104 have the same basic fuselage

And the ejection seat is right out of the F-104. The U-2 doesn't even have a wing spar that goes through the fuselage. The wings are simply bolted to the side of the thing. HuggyU2 can provide a whole lot more I'm sure. There was a former CG Helo guy as the U-2 det in PSAB last I was there and he gave us a great tour.

Sadly, no NFO needed.

 

[BarrettRC8]

I saw a U-2 below my lead and I climbing during my high alt roll-in flight out of NJK.

Pretty neat to see.

 

[Tex_Hill]

U-2 related: Air Force to award Francis Gary Powers the Silver Star.