Take a ride on a U2 spy plane to 70000 feet.

[sparkeyjames]

The views out the window are incredible.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PmYItnlY5M

[Uncle Cracker]

Very cool. What is also impressive is that this altitude would be considered tame by SR-71 standards... Kelly Johnson was so far ahead of his time, it's not funny...

[sparkeyjames]

My favorite part is when the pilot points out an airliner 30,000 feet below them.

[crokett]

Didn't he also design the SR-71?

[reddog552]

Wow

That was cool . I seen a SR -71 take off. I love to see the view from 1 of them.

[Uncle Cracker]

Didn't he also design the SR-71?

Yes... Because he's the man...

[Pappy]

Hate it when links like this get posted.....

Don't hate the links, just the time I spend on the other videos.

Watched several on the SR-71 Blackbird, originally called the Habu. When I was working Crash Rescue in Iwakuni, Japan the Habu was operating out of Okinawa. We were designated an alternate landing site and instructions in case of a crash were to contain the fire and make no attempt to save make a rescue or save the aircraft. Security and classification were still that high.

Another video I watched was the "World's 10 Fastest Aircraft". Interesting that several were rated at just over Mach 2, yet the F4 Phantom was not included in the list. Flights of the Phantom were documented at speeds close to Mach 3 and her engines were capable of pushing the aircraft to speeds beyond the stress limits of the airframe. Boeing.com list the max speed as 1485 mph (Mach 2.25).

[Whaler]

I spent 1963 thru 1965 assigned to the U-2s at Davis Monthan AFB. I was part of the ground support crew and as such was in on all launches and landings when on duty. The most awesome memories were watching the bird take off in Fairbanks at -40 and go straight up until it was out of sight.
We once had a bird that lost its engine about half way between the Cal coast and Hawiii, he glided into and made a safe landing at Hickam AFB Hawaii.
The Strategic Air Command birds had normal Air Force markings the black birds were operated another government agency.

[cgallery]

I have a friend that, when he was in the air force (late 60's), was working on a base (can't remember which one) where a SR-71 had to make an emergency landing.

As impressive an aircraft that it is today, he said back then that it was like a UFO had landed.

All he got to see was the thing land and enter a hangar, where it awaited a team to come fix it. Nobody was allowed in the hangar, nobody was told when it was leaving, nothing. Base personnel were just told to stay away from the hangar.

A few days later it was gone. More people saw it arrive than leave.

[jackellis]

I wouldn't mind taking a ride in a U-2 or an SR-71.

Kind of interesting that final approach speed in the U-2 is only about 15 knots faster than the final approach speed in my little airplane. On the other hand, I can only dream of climbing like the U-2 does.

[Tom Slick]

Didn't he also design the SR-71?

A few U-2 factoids.
From what I've read, the Soviets "watched" the U-2 the first time it flew over their airspace. We knew immediately that we needed a replacement that not only flew higher but also faster than Soviet radar. The SR-71 "replacement" for the "outdated" U-2 was retired for good about 15 years ago.

The U-2 was the first plane Skunkworks built that only met a very minimum safety factor of design. They knew on paper that the materials would hold but their gut told them the wings would fold up.

Apparently the U-2 is incredibly difficult to fly and is unofficially nicknamed the "flying coffin". At altitude it has a 10 knot speed window it flys in, slower and it stalls, faster and it can come apart.

[cabinetman]

Great video and great views. When he said something about lunch I thought he was going to barf.
.

[LinuxRandal]

Thanks for the link. I believe that is part of Captain slows space series. I came VERY near hitting the print screen to catch the atmosphere shots for my desktop. (getting ready to rebuild several machines)

[jackellis]

At altitude it has a 10 knot speed window it flys in, slower and it stalls, faster and it can come apart.

I just wasted an hour and a half watching documentaries on You tube for the XB-70 and the SR-71. Early in the SR-71 video, they talk about the U-2 and mention that at altitude, the difference between stall speed and the onset of supersonic airflow over the wings (I think it's called coffin corner) was 12 knots in the early airplanes and is now 5 MPH. I'll stick with my Cessna, thanks.

The SR-71 video also points out that the airplane was designed without digital methods, meaning the engineers used slide rules. Since it was developed around the same time, so was the XB-70.

I likes having my computers to work problems, but I still use my slide rule from time to time when I need answers I can really trust

[Uncle Cracker]

...I still use my slide rule from time to time when I need answers I can really trust

I use mine to stir my coffee...