Plane of the Day: Lockheed U-2

The Lockheed U-2 is one of the most iconic and secretive aircraft in history, synonymous with high-altitude reconnaissance. Designed by the legendary Kelly Johnson and his Skunk Works team in the mid-1950s, the U-2 was built to fly at extreme altitudes, well above the reach of conventional interceptors and anti-aircraft missiles of its era. To achieve this, Kelly took off everything from the plane except bare necessities. He even removed the landing gear. After removing all this, he was left with a fragile bird that was so light it was hard to keep on the ground when landing. Pilots needed to wear spacesuits to survive at 70,000 ft, the U-2's operating altitude. To put that into perspective, the typical plane flies at half that, 35,000 ft. The U-2 was put to extensive use during the Cold War, gathering valuable intelligence. Since then, the U-2 has significantly evolved and the latest version, nicknamed "Dragon Lady" is much more advanced than the first U-2. However, it keeps the same basic characteristics and ingenuity of the very first U-2.

Specifications

Country of Origin: United States

Max Speed: 500 mph (805 km/h) (Mach 0.8)

Armament: N/A

Range: Over 7,000 miles (11,000 km)

Max Takeoff Weight: 40,000 lbs (18,144 kg)

Service Ceiling: 70,000+ ft (21,300+ m)

Powerplant: 1 General Electric F118-GE-101 turbofan engine, 17,000 lbf (75.6 kN) thrust

Length: 63 ft (19.2 m)

Wingspan: 103 ft (31.39 m)

Height: 16 ft 0 in (4.88 m)

Crew: 1