What were U-2 spy planes used for?

What were U-2 spy planes used for?

U-2, single-seat, high-altitude jet aircraft flown by the United States for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Perhaps the most famous spy plane ever built, the U-2, also known as the Dragon Lady, has been in service since 1956.

What is the Archangel 12?

The aircraft was designated A-12, the 12th in a series of internal design efforts for “Archangel”, the aircraft’s internal code name….Lockheed A-12.

What is the current US spy plane?

Lockheed U-2

How did Eisenhower handle the U-2 incident?

Eisenhower Issues a Denial Officials in the Eisenhower administration believed that little evidence of the plane’s espionage mission had survived the crash, so they responded that the aircraft was merely a weather plane that had accidentally flown off course.

Why was the U-2 spy plane shot down?

The original consensus about the cause of the U-2 incident was that the spy plane had been shot down by one of a salvo of 14 Soviet SA-2 missiles.

How high can the U-2 spy plane go?

70,000ft
The U-2’s 63ft-long (19m) thin fuselage, two high-aspect, un-swept glider-like wings, and powerful engine are designed to rocket the plane higher than 70,000ft (21km) – and, crucially, keep it there.

Did Cuba shoot down a U-2?

Rudolf Anderson Jr. The only U.S fatality by enemy fire during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Anderson died when his U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down over Cuba.

Are spy planes still used?

But the 65-year-old Lockheed U-2 is still at the top of its game, flying missions in an environment no other aircraft can operate in. At 70,000ft and above, the “Dragon Lady” still has the stratosphere largely to itself, just as it did 65 years ago on its first flight.

What is the hardest aircraft to fly?

Lockheed U-2 spy plane
Nearly twice as wide as it is long, the Lockheed U-2 spy plane is one of the most distinctive aircraft in the United States Air Force – and the hardest aircraft to fly, earning itself the nickname “The Dragon Lady”.

What is the history of the U-2 spy plane?

See Article History. Alternative Title: Dragon Lady. U-2, single-seat, high-altitude jet aircraft flown by the United States for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Perhaps the most famous spy plane ever built, the U-2, also known as the Dragon Lady, has been in service since 1956.

What was the purpose of the A-12 spy plane?

Eighteen of the aircraft were built, of which only thirteen were mass-produced A-12s, while the others were pre-production units or drone carrier variants. As part of operation Black Shield, the A-12 flew dozens of reconnaissance sorties in the latter stages of the Vietnam War.

Which is the second most famous spy plane?

Arguably second famous to its sister, the SR-71, the U-2 “Dragon Lady” was another marvel built by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works division.

What kind of aircraft is the U-2 Dragon Lady?

U-2 is a single-jet engine, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force. The U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft is also known as the ‘Dragon Lady’. Image courtesy of Lockheed Martin Corporation.