If you like aircraft watch this

[358 winchester]

The U-2 was a cold war spy plane used by the Air Force to keep tabs on The

Soviet Union. It flew so high it was thought that it couldn't be shot down

by anything that existed then...that is until Gary Francis Powers was shot

down over the Soviet Unior by a new SA 2 Guideline surface to air

missile...used extansively later during the Vietnam war. It caused the

demise of many Navy and Air Force aircraft. The U2 is a glider with
wings...NEVER meant for anything but land based runway operations. Note the

wing tips hitting the deck and the ships crew holding the wing up for

launch. For experienced Navy tailhookers.....note the very shallow

glideslope...definitely Air Force runway approach procedures because of the

delicate landing gear. Navy planes are made to "crash" onto the deck and

the landing gear on all Navy aircraft are significantly more beefy than any

Air Forc e airplane. This took significant skill and daring to see if it

could be done. These pictures are a first .....

very few people knew that this was done. Enjoy...



I received this from Paul Rock who flew both the SR71 and the U2 during

the 60's. He is retired here in Florida. .



Sent to me by a Navy buddy:



I was on this cruise. This was in late 62 or early 63. After the U2

carrier quals, we departed Oakland with 2 U2's and about 6 F4's. aboard the

Ranger (CVA61), We had 7or 8 crews, some maint guys, and 3 Airforce (or

Maybe CIA) U2 pilots. Our OinC was John Young (later Astronaut) . We were

gone about 3 weeks. Never found out where we went except that we crossed

the equator and had a big shellback ceremony. After about a week the U2's

flew several 6 or 7 hour missions and then we turned for home. We flew

several times during the cruise just for proficiency but just in the landing

pattern. No tacan locks and no radar returns (and no bingo fields!) so we

were way out in the middle of nowhere.



You won't believe this!



http://www.creativefission.com/Frame...er320x240.html

[artabr]

Amazing stuff Ron. I'm pretty savy about military aircraft but this is the first I've heard about U-2 carrier trials or missions. Cool stuff.


Art

[358 winchester]

It came to me from a good friend that spend his entire life in the Navy that is all I know about it.

[Big ugly]

Difficult task for any pilot especialliy in a U2

[artabr]

Flapping wings and rocking decks.


Art

[woolleyworm]

Pretty darn impressive! My carrier days consisted exactly of 5 whole days on the Kennedy; while assigned to a F-18 training squadron. Found a whole new respect for those that I respectfully call Squids !! That was plenty enough for me, I much rather preferred Key West and New Orleans !

[artabr]

Originally Posted by woolleyworm

Pretty darn impressive! My carrier days consisted exactly of 5 whole days on the Kennedy; while assigned to a F-18 training squadron. Found a whole new respect for those that I respectfully call Squids !! That was plenty enough for me, I much rather preferred Key West and New Orleans !

I seen the Kennedy from the surface in an 18' boat at about 100 yds distance. You truly get a grasp of the concept of SMALL.


Art

[armedandsafe]

I seem to remember a picture of an aircraft on a carrier deck with small wheels on the wingtips. ??? Anybody?

Pops

[artabr]

Originally Posted by armedandsafe

I seem to remember a picture of an aircraft on a carrier deck with small wheels on the wingtips. ??? Anybody?

Pops

Harrier jump jet.


.

[Suwannee Tim]

My father, a retried Aviation Ordinance Chief home built a Pietenpol. About 1972 or 1973 the Saratoga was returning to Mayport and my dad decided to fly out to meet it. We flew past the ship maybe 200 feet off the beam about walking speed faster than the ship was steaming, it took us a good five minutes to pass it. Dad then cut the power so the ship was walking speed faster than us, taking five minutes to pass us. He then slipped over behind the fantail as though approaching for a landing. An officer rushed out on deck with hand paddles waving them overhead warn us not to land. I think Dad would have landed if not for that.

As far as the video, I have seen it, I don't believe it.

[Marlin T]

Originally Posted by Suwannee Tim

He then slipped over behind the fantail as though approaching for a landing. An officer rushed out on deck with hand paddles waving them overhead warn us not to land. I think Dad would have landed if not for that.

As far as the video, I have seen it, I don't believe it.

Wow what an awesome experience!!!

Your Dad could have really enhanced the experience by landing!!!!!

That would have been quite the experience to say the least hehehehe

So who is going to buy the video and give us a report on it?

[obxned]

I would have thought it absolutely impossible to operate a U-2 off of a carrier.

[Suwannee Tim]

Originally Posted by obxned

I would have thought it absolutely impossible to operate a U-2 off of a carrier.

Anybody knows that. That's why I don't believe it. I saw some film of, I think it was a C130 operating off a carrier deck. Didn't believe that either. I don't know maybe it wasn't a C130, maybe it was just a C129 or a C128, you know something a little smaller than a C130.

[big steve]

Cool Ron thanks!

[Silencer]

What was that "ejection locked canopy" part at the end? I couldn't see anything; it was too dark.

Fantastic video, though!

[artabr]

It looks like the U-2R took flew test flights off several different carriers.

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question...ry/q0050.shtml


This is from "Skunk Works Digest".

http://www.netwrx1.com/skunk-works/v05.n629

From: JOHN SZALAY <jpszalay@tacl.dnet.ge.com>
Date: Sat, 2 Mar 96 16:12:54 EST
Subject: RE: U2 Carrier Ops

> From:"cfii@msn.com" "Mark E. Schmidt"
> RE:Subj: U2 Carrier Ops
>
> On wings this evening I saw a U2 land and take off from an aircraft carrier.
> I am not aware of any U2 variant with folding wings, but cannot imagine
> leaving one uncovered on an open deck for long. U2 is way to wide to fit
> on any elevator of an aircraft carrier I've been on (the largest being
> CVA-63, the Kitty Hawk - *sh_ __y kitty*).

According to Jay Miller's book on the U-2, The Kitty Hawk itself was used
in 1963 by the CIA for touch & go's by 2 agency U-2A's (Project Seeker)
also USS RANGER 1963 & 1964

>
> Did U2's stay on board long enough to warrant removing wings to stow on
> hangar deck, or . .. .

According to Lockheed test pilot Bill Park, the outer 70" of the U-2R wings
can be folded and by careful placement on the USS America's elevator and
was able to be taken to the hanger deck.
( REF: The Hook magazine article quoted in Jay Millers U-2 book)
(on page 62 of Jay Millers U2 book, there are 2 pictures of NASA's ER-2
# 706 with the wing tips folded, according to the caption, the ER-2, TR-1A
and the U2C all had folding wing tips & the G models were C's with
tailhooks added for carrier use.)

From: Ben Rich's book "Skunk Works" as well as Jay Miller's book.
the U-2G launched and recovered from USS RANGER & was used to monitor
the French nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll in Late 1963 & early 1964
since the tests take place over a several week time period, I suspect
since the "G" was a "C" with folding wing tips, it was probably stowed
on the hanger deck until needed.


John Szalay
jpszalay@tacl.dnet.ge.com

PS: had to go digging in the reference corner of my bookshelf to verify
the facts on this one, I remember the folding wing tips, but really had to
dig for the books & pages...


_______________________________

Note: The U-2G that John Szalay mentions in response to the question should read U-2R. He does correct himself a little later in the posted link.


Art