A ride on a U2 spyplane

[Exfso]

TAKE A FLT. ON A U-2

This video is a once in a lifetime experience of a British civilian getting
a flight at over 70,000 ft. in a U-2 spy plane. Please note at the take-off
the assist wheels on the outer edges of the wings which drop off upon
take-off. The wings are so long that they need temporary support until
lift-off. What is not shown is at the landing the plane actually slows to a
low enough speed that two guys are actually able to grab the wing tips and
put those assist wheels back on.

The civilian getting the ride is the host of the car show Top Gear on BBC (James May) .
The views are spectacular as the U-2 flies at altitudes which constitute "SPACE." and beyond.

Use your full screen and sound as this is a high-quality film clip, 10
minutes long.

http://www.wimp.com/breathtakingfootage/

[Steve_E]

Peter this was an amazing video, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The music was a nice touch. I'd go in a second. :)

Thanks very much for sharing this.

[wavelandscott]

That was cool!

[TheDecepticon]

Awesome video! Have seen it before. It is one of the guys from top gear, James, or whatever his name is. Was great to see it again.:eyepop::thumbsup::thanx:

[GrahamL]

Used to cost around 15 k us I think (maybe more ) ,sort of afordable.
Be a fun way to round out a holiday OS

http://www.flymigsokol.com/flights/space_program

[xstream]

What a flight that would be! :)

[iceman]

Wow very cool. I'd love to do something like that.

[supernova1965]

You will have to fight me for it :eyepop::Pthat's how much I want to go

[multiweb]

That was very cool. :thumbsup:

[Hagar]

Fantastic, I wonder how I could get that past the minister for finance.

It certainly would be a once in a lifetime experience.

[Kevnool]

Thats out of my league.
Cool Tho
Cheers Kev.

[Clarry]

Very very cool. Did you notice the blue car following the U2 was a Monaro.

[astroron]

Beautiful, thank you for posting it:thanx::thumbsup:

[suma126]

THAT WAS AWESOME :eyepop:

[TrevorW]

Money can buy almost anything

some people are so lucky

[Starkler]

Wow what an amazing experience, both for James May, and for myself watching.

Those top gear blokes are extremely privileged people getting to play with all the best toys.

[Screwdriverone]

I saw that episode on Foxtel BBC Knowledge, on the show, James May's Big Ideas.

I agree, it was a stunning flight, he is a lucky bugger alright.

yes I also noticed the Holden based Pontiac GTO chasing down the runway.

Very cool.

Cheers

Chris

[Omaroo]

This was on Foxtel last year over the Apollo 40th celebration.

Good to see it again though...

[leinad]

Great vid! Haven't seen that yet. :thumbsup:

[Matt Wastell]

Wow! I did not realise that the U2 flew that high!
Super!

[M54]

Sensational!

Thanks for that.
What an emotional experience that would be! :earth:

[lacad01]

Wow what a ride :)

[hulloleeds]

Sort of rebutts any misgivings about suborbital flight being hardly worth it, doesn't it?

I'm a bit miffed as to how that could have cost only 15k, even some time ago. (What with Virgin Galactic only flying to that altitude and charging a fair bit more).

[mac]

Looks awesome... the music was a bit cheesy though!

[Octane]

I have that episode on a USB key with me. I never know when I might need to show people.

I thought this was posted about here previously last year? Can't remember.

Anyway, cheers for the reminder!

H

[GrahamL]

Virgins flights I believe go 5 times higher than what the migs and U 2 can operate at
(110 km)... Start saving :D

[Omaroo]

Yep Humayun - I put one up last August about it, but that's OK: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=46431

This was when it came out on Fox - and I guess that most people don't have Fox and hadn't seen it until now. :shrug:

Good to see it again though! :D Great show.

[gary]

I saw this video last year but it was good to watch again.

The particular U-2 in the video is interesting because it is a two seat training model
or has been modified to accommodate the second seating position.

A highly recommended book is "Skunk Works" by Ben R. Rich and Leo Janos,
first published by Warner Books in 1994. Ben R. Rich was head of the Lockheed
Skunk Works where the U-2 was developed and devotes some interesting chapters
to it.

One of the original movers and shakers behind getting the U-2 project going was
Edwin Land, the genius of Polaroid fame, who recognized the reconnaissance
capability that could be provided with the use of high quality optics and films
from high altitudes. Once they received funding, the CIA approached then Skunk
Works head, Kelly Johnson, to design it.

Reputedly the aluminium fuselage was so thin that if you dropped a spanner
on it, it was likely to leave a four inch deep dent.

The original cover story for the aircraft was they were part of a new high altitude
weather research project. As Rich writes in his book,

When the original Soviet SAM's couldn't reach their altitude, according to
Marty Knutson, the first pilot selected to fly the U-2, they tried to ram them with jets.
Knutson says,

That lasted until May 1, 1960 when Francis Gary Powers set off on his ill-fated
flight from an airbase on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, sparking one the
of the major incidents of the Cold War. It certainly was a May Day present come
true for Kruschev at the time.

[lacad01]

There was a film made of the incident starring Lee Majors (Six Million Dollar Man), wasn't too bad if I recall

[gary]

Hi Adam,

That is indeed correct and it was a made-for-TV movie that was shown
here several years back.

It was difficult to deny the U-2's true purpose once the Soviets went over the wreckage.

The aircraft's equipment bay was referred to as the Q-bay and its camera contents
were regarded as Top Secret. The Q-bay was fitted with a destructor unit
wired to a little over a kilogram of RDX explosive. Activating the destructor
was a two step process. The pilot first had to throw one switch and then
a second which would begin a 70 second countdown. With the Q-bay location
directly beneath the cockpit, the pilot risked serious injury should it detonate
whilst he was in the aircraft. Powers didn't activate the self-destruct mechanism.
Pilots were also issued with poison pins.

Several years ago, I passed by the airforce base just outside of Peshawar, Pakistan
where Powers began his secret flight.

[Omaroo]

Would that be Leo Janos Gary?

[gary]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the correction. It is indeed Leo Janos and I must have had James
May on the brain when I made the typo. :)

The ISBN is 0-7515-1503-5

If you haven't read the book and can find a copy, it is a fabulous read.
It also details the development of the SR-71 Blackbird and F-117 Stealth Fighter.

Apart from Francis Gary Powers flight, several other U-2's came down.

The Chinese managed to down at least four of the U-2's that flew out of Taiwan
and then put them on public display in Tianmen Square.

The Hollywood movie, Thirteen Days, re-enacts one that was shot down by
a SAM over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crises.

One was also lost over Vietnam but the pilot ejected.