Lockheed U-2 facts for kids
The U-2 is a special airplane, sometimes called the Dragon Lady. It was built by a company called Lockheed. This plane is designed to fly very high up, like a glider, to secretly look at things on the ground. It first flew in 1955.
Contents
The U-2 Spy Plane
The U-2 was created during the Cold War. This was a time when the United States and the Soviet Union (now Russia) were rivals. The U.S. needed a way to see what the Soviet military was doing from high in the sky. The U-2 could fly so high that it was very hard to spot or shoot down. Taiwan also used U-2 planes to spy on China.
A Secret Mission Goes Wrong
The United States tried to keep the U-2's purpose a secret. But on May 1, 1960, a U-2 plane flown by Francis Gary Powers was shot down. It was hit by a Soviet missile. In 1962, Powers was released. He was traded for a captured Soviet spy named Rudolf Abel. After this, a faster plane called the SR-71 Blackbird started spying. It was harder to see on radar.
Still Flying High
Even though the U-2 design is over 50 years old, it is still used today. It continues to fly important missions.
How Big and Fast is the U-2?
The U-2S model is about 63 feet (19.2 meters) long. Its wings stretch about 105 feet (32 meters) wide. It stands about 15.75 feet (4.8 meters) tall. When empty, it weighs around 15,000 pounds (6,800 kilograms). But when full, it can weigh over 41,000 pounds (18,600 kilograms).
Power and Performance
The U-2 is powered by one General Electric F118-101 engine. This engine provides 17,000 pounds (7,711 kilograms) of thrust. The plane can fly up to 475 miles per hour (764 kilometers per hour). It can travel 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometers) without needing to refuel. The U-2 can fly incredibly high, over 70,000 feet (21,336 meters). It might even reach as high as 84,974 feet (25,900 meters).
Related pages
Images for kids
-
Original U-2A at USAF Museum
-
Model "B" U-2 camera on display at the National Air and Space Museum
-
U-2 at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford
-
U-2 with range of possible payloads
-
U-2 testing aboard USS America (CV-66)
-
A pilot in a U-2 cockpit. Note the pressure suit worn by the pilot, similar to that used in the Lockheed SR-71.
-
U-2 "GRAND SLAM" flight plan on 1 May 1960, from CIA publication 'The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 And Oxcart Programs, 1954–1974', declassified 25 June 2013.
-
Kelly Johnson and Gary Powers in front of a U-2
-
External view from cockpit of U-2 near maximum service ceiling
-
One of NASA's ER-2s in flight over the California desert. A NASA ER-2 set the world altitude record for its weight class.
-
U-2S with the Senior Span/Spur communications suite at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, ca. 2017
-
Cockpit of a U-2S Block 20, at Osan Air Base, South Korea, circa June 2006
-
Official emblem of the Black Cat Squadron
-
U-2 pilot's view in the cockpit: The large circular monitor is vital for navigation, evading interceptors and surface-to-air missiles as early as possible.
-
A NASA ER-2 atmospheric research aircraft in flight
-
A Lockheed U-2F being refueled by a KC-135Q
-
ER-2 being chased by support vehicle on landing
-
U-2C 56-6691 wreckage restored and on display at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, Beijing
-
Part of the wreckage of 56-6693 (Article 360) on display in Moscow
-
U-2 56-6680 on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC
-
U-2 56-6682 on display at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia
-
U-2/ER-2 on display at the NASA/Moffett Field Museum, Calif.
-
A two-seat TU-2S
_with_a_U-2.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Lockheed U-2 para niños
