U-2 Flight 70,000 FT

[sunny91]

Sunny

[Matt308]

I didn't realize that the Top Gear guys got to ride in a U-2. What a ride of a lifetime! Good one, Sunny.

[Gnomey]

Yeah, James May did a program on the 40th anniversary on the Moon Landings. It was in two parts. The first was "James May on the Moon" which described the moon landings and their impact 40 years on with interviews with those that had done it and a look at the Saturn V rocket. This also included the footage of the U2 flight at the end. The second program was titled "James May on the Edge of Space" and was the story behind his training for the U2 flight and the flight itself in more depth. Both were shown on the BBC two weeks ago or so and were excellent television and really worthwhile watching.

Excellent video sunny, been after this footage since I saw it and am still after the whole program when I get around to downloading it.

[johnbr]

Yes that was great.

[plan_D]

It certainly was a great program; and the Top Gear before it was equally as awesome - Ferrari FXX, oh my god.

I was just so amazed by the interviews; that one astronaut saying that he looks up to the Moon and says "I've been there". And the fact that those men have done 35,000 MPH!

Lightnings still used to bounce U-2s.

[Matt308]

Originally Posted by plan_D

Lightnings still used to bounce U-2s.

Really!?!?? That must have been more related to the lack of situational awareness of the U-2 avionics suite/ground control, than the Lightning's cabilities. For surely, the Lightning must have had to make a known trajectory "zoom" to FL750+, with expectations that the target U-2 would be there. Otherwise, a U-2 course deviation at time of Lightning maneuver commitment would have put the U-2 miles away and the Lighting having no ability to do a damn thing about it.

This is exactly the same maneuver that the SR-71 performed with missile launches. Early detection of a missile launch was the deathknell of any potential for missile intercept.

[plan_D]

It's quite a lot to do with the Lightning's capabilities - including it's ability to climb to 88,000 feet. With a U-2 happily cruising at 60 - 70,000 feet, there's no issue with the Lightning being able to fly down and give a good 'ole jolly. It wasn't combat, so the U-2 and Lightning would have been perfectly aware of each others position.

Is there some problem with the Lightning being an exceptional aircraft, or something?

[lingo]

Originally Posted by Matt308

I didn't realize that the Top Gear guys got to ride in a U-2. What a ride of a lifetime! Good one, Sunny.

Not only a Top Gear Presenter, but the one known as Captain Slow!

[Matt308]

Originally Posted by plan_D

It's quite a lot to do with the Lightning's capabilities - including it's ability to climb to 88,000 feet. With a U-2 happily cruising at 60 - 70,000 feet, there's no issue with the Lightning being able to fly down and give a good 'ole jolly. It wasn't combat, so the U-2 and Lightning would have been perfectly aware of each others position.

Is there some problem with the Lightning being an exceptional aircraft, or something?

I've no hate for the Lightning. So don't get your panties in a bind. But your simplistic explanation does not answer my questions related to kinematics at high altitude. Just because the F-15 has a zoom ceiling of 100,000+ft, does not make it an automatic platform to catch and kill an SR-71. Therefore, my analogy holds true with the Lightning and U-2.

I was looking for an explanation Pd. Not admonishment.

[sunny91]

More complete video about James May..

[gwalch]

Oh my word!!! You are a top fella, Sunny!!

Thanks so much for this upload!! Top work!!

Talk about fun.

[siznaudin]

Crikey, I can't wait for the program to screen Down Under ! Even better if it doesn't feature Jeremy (the mouth) Clarkson...

[Stitch]

[QUOTE=plan_D;523994 Lightnings still used to bounce U-2s. [/QUOTE]

So did the F-104; here is an excerpt from "The Joy of High Tech", an online article, by Rodford Edmiston:

"Even today, the performance of the F-104 seems almost mythical. Even early models could fly at altitudes far above the listed service ceiling. An ex-US Air Force pilot reports that he and his wingman, flying F-104A aircraft refitted with the -19 engine, could maintain level flight at Mach 2 and 22 kilometers altitude, if the air temperature were lower than usual. They surprised a U-2 pilot during a practice intercept doing that. The U-2 was flying at a bit above 21 kilometers, and the F-104s came in from above. The F-104 pilot stated that the U-2 pilot's comments on this were the only time he ever heard one of the Dragon Ladies break radio silence. (Best lift-to-drag speed for a clean F-104 is around 273 KEAS (knots equivalent air speed) and wingtip Sidewinders wouldn't affect this much. At 21 kilometers, on an average day, that works out to just about exactly Mach 2.)"

Go here for the full article.

There are more references out there, but this will suffice for now.

[comiso90]

Originally Posted by plan_D

I It wasn't combat, so the U-2 and Lightning would have been perfectly aware of each others position.

Is there some problem with the Lightning being an exceptional aircraft, or something?

The lightning was an exceptional aircraft but unless the "bounce" is under war simulation, the comment is interesting but nothing more than an out of context statement about the lightnings performance, not it's ability to engage a U2..."perfectly aware of each others position" is hardly a bounce.
Bounce implys interception.. just cause the lightning had the speed and ceiling doesn't mean it could bounce a U2. Another 1000+ gallons of fuel onboard and it could intercept a U2. Are you aware of any real-world wargame simulations? I'd like to know... i'm a fan of the lighning


A P-26 could destroy a B-29...

.... if they collided on the ramp while the B-29 was fueling...


.

[plan_D]

I don't know if there's any official records. But I've heard stories from some of the pilots and others through my dad of the Lightning's adventures in Cyprus where the U.S used to have a U-2 base. The Lightnings would go down there for armament training. There's a few stories I could tell but all largely irrelevant as it's not paper evidence; but a couple of the lads zoom climbed up to meet the U-2s at 60,000 + ft when all were in knowledge and indeed there were a couple of times when the Lightnings bounced the U-2s from above without the U-2 pilot knowing - one of the lads did tell me he did it from around 60k ...so, the U-2 was obviously below that, but he said one of the other pilots did it from" 60 +"; given that the altimeter would be off the clock at 60 + ...he didn't know where he was exactly. The U-2 crews and Lightning crews had a good relationship; it's a shame I can't meet them all...and it's probably true that some of the stuff should have never happened.

I'm perfectly aware of the term bouncing, thank you. And knowledge of each other in the area would have been quite easy to guess since they both operated from the same base, and the Lightning sqdns. would watch the U-2s lift off and always knew when they'd be coming home; even the Cypriots worked that out, ready with their goods for the U-2s coming home.

I'm glad the F-104 story was posted...being in the same league as the Lightning; unfortunately largely forgotten about in Britain...just nicknamed the vacuum cleaner here.