The U-2 Spy Dragonlady Secretive Origins And A Glimpse Of Area 51 | Declassified Upscaled Video

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  • Опубликовано: 30 окт 2024
  • Tests are performed on a secret aircraft, nicknamed: “Inquisitive Angel”.The official code name is CL-282, what will become the Lockheed U-2 strategic reconnaissance plane.
    This 1957 CIA documentary tells the story of the U-2 beginnings and the now restricted Area 51.
    The film was officially s declassified in 2006.
    “The Inquisitive Angel” video was made to show very selected workers at Watertown, a detailed insights into the origins of the area and a broad idea of its activities related to U-2 development and testing. The video also explains the training of the U-2 pilots at the time.
    The film is an historic document that details the beginnings of the U-2 spy plane program. A particular emphasis is place on the security of the site: “The highest yet to be maintained in this country. Even higher than that of the Manhattan Project”.
    The video is filled with fascinating insights on the development of one of one of Kelly Johnson’s most famous projects and the origins of the legendary “Skunk Works”.
    It reveals the details of Lockheed’s truly top secret 26-man special projects group, the elite engineering team that took only 8 months to build the first U-2.
    There are specific references to the U-2’s weight saving priorities, with its non-powered, manually opened canopy, unusual tandem landing gear and “pogo” supports on the outer wings.
    Get a fascinating look at the innovative control surfaces of the U-2, including the upward tilting flaps that could reconfigure the wing’s aerodynamics completely for different parts of the U-2’s extreme operational envelope.
    We even learn that the aerodynamics were not developed using conventional wind tunnel testing!
    This project was likely the first application of an early version of modern day, computer-generated computational fluid dynamics or “CFD”, an aerodynamic engineering diagnostic and testing method now nearly universal in aerospace engineering.
    The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is an American single-jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides day and night, high-altitude (70,000 feet, 21,300 meters), all-weather intelligence gathering.
    Lockheed Corporation originally proposed it in 1953, it was approved in 1954, and its first test flight was in 1955. It was flown during the Cold War over the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, and Cuba. In 1960, Gary Powers was shot down in a CIA U-2C over the Soviet Union by a surface-to-air missile (SAM). Major Rudolf Anderson Jr. was shot down in a U-2 during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
    U-2s have taken part in post-Cold War conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and supported several multinational NATO operations. The U-2 has also been used for electronic sensor research, satellite calibration, scientific research, and communications purposes. The U-2 is one of a handful of aircraft types to have served the USAF for over 50 years, along with the Boeing B-52, Boeing KC-135, and Lockheed C-130. The newest models (TR-1, U-2R, U-2S) entered service in the 1980s, and the latest model, the U-2S, had a technical upgrade in 2012.
    Skunk Works produced the U-2 spy plane that could - and still does - collect images from 70,000 feet; the SR-71 Blackbird, an aircraft that could fly at speeds greater than Mach 3; and the F-117 Nighthawk, the first stealth fighter.
    For defense tech journalists and aviation nerds, this is the equivalent of a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s factory, but think supersonic drones instead of Everlasting Gobstoppers.
    General characteristics:
    Crew: 1
    Capacity: 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) payload
    Length: 63 ft 0 in (19.20 m)
    Wingspan: 103 ft (31 m)
    Height: 16 ft 0 in (4.88 m)
    Wing area: 1,000 sq ft (93 m2)
    Airfoil: root: NACA 63A409; tip: NACA 63A406
    Empty weight: 16,000 lb (7,257 kg)
    Max takeoff weight: 40,000 lb (18,144 kg)
    Fuel capacity: 2,950 US gal (2,460 imp gal; 11,200 l)
    Powerplant: 1 × General Electric F118-101 turbofan engine, 17,000 lbf (76 kN) thrust
    Performance
    Cruise mach number: Mach 0.715 (412 kn; 470 mph; 760 km/h) at 72,000 ft (22,000 m)[210]
    Cruise speed: 413 kn (475 mph, 765 km/h) at 65,000 ft (20,000 m)
    Stall speed: 65 kn (75 mph, 120 km/h)
    Range: 6,090 nmi (7,010 mi, 11,280 km) plus
    Endurance: 12 hours[212]
    Service ceiling: 80,000 ft (24,000 m) plus
    Rate of climb: 9,000 ft/min (46 m/s)
    Time to altitude: 60,000 ft (18,000 m) in 12 minutes 30 seconds
    Lift-to-drag: 25.6
    Wing loading: 40 lb/sq ft (200 kg/m2)
    Thrust/weight: 0.425
    Fuel consumption: 910 lb/h (410 kg/h) in cruise
    #u2 #spy #aircraft

Комментарии • 41

  • @popcornhead3479
    @popcornhead3479 2 года назад +7

    So proud of my big brother having spent 20+ years serving in the airforce on U-2 program. Got to visit beale AFB a few times what a pleasure to see these planes and I even met a pilot while riding motorcycles in the mountains around the Beale AFB area. Great memories! Thanks to all who serve past,present,and future. You are all my heros.

    • @michaelwhaley6123
      @michaelwhaley6123 2 года назад

      I live down the street fromm beale love watching it never gets old

    • @RivetGardener
      @RivetGardener 2 года назад

      I am impressed that your brother served in such a superb (and such a secretive program). You have no idea how important that was to keeping the US safe during that time. Scary.

  • @306champion
    @306champion 2 года назад

    I'm probably known for big long comments but you covered it all Gary.
    So cool.

  • @DataRew
    @DataRew 2 года назад +2

    I grew up with Carmine Vito as my grandmother's neighbor and my quasi-grandpa. I still have a parachute bag loaded with a tent that he gave me, along with many other avitaion trinkets. I truly wish I could talk with U-2 people who knew him, since that the fact was that I knew him through almost all of my first 18 years of life, but he was so secretive about his work with the U-2 that I didn't know he flew it until about 6 month before he died, and I never was able to talk to him about it.

  • @raymondsheffield5366
    @raymondsheffield5366 2 года назад +1

    I'm a big aviation enthusiast and have a great fascination of all things/aircraft from the military and the black world. I had no idea from the title of this video that GARY SINISE had any connection to it. Great video!!! but maybe you could edit the title to include that GARY SINISE is also in it?? He seems to be a pretty cool guy. Thank you Capt. Dang. God bless to you and the authors of this video and the men and women of the military.

  • @wingtip1000
    @wingtip1000 2 года назад +2

    THANK YOU SIR YOUR HUMAN KINDNESS

  • @tedwebb5244
    @tedwebb5244 Год назад

    I had the honor of serving with the 4080th Strat Recon Wng at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ as an avionics navigation technician in the mid and late 1960's. The 4080th was flying the U-2C and U-2R models before the U-2's were moved to Beale AFB. The U-2 was a wonderful aircraft to be associated with.

  • @DieselDSM69
    @DieselDSM69 Год назад +1

    Well done Gary. Your country is proud of you.

  • @southjerseysound7340
    @southjerseysound7340 2 года назад +4

    Gary Sinese doesn't get enough credit sometimes. It's a long story but if it wasn't for him playing It Dan I never would have served. My dad used to send me to check on my uncle and he'd let me drive because he was usually drunk. My dad knew he'd let me drive but turned a blind eye to avoid arguments. Anyway my uncle wanted to see Forrest Gump and at 14 I took any excuse to drive his 71 chevelle SS or 70 C10 truck that also has a big block...... During the movie he started talking about Vietnam and how he was treated after he got home etc. It's the first time he opened up and when we were leaving a kid from behind thanked him for serving. He just about broke down and later said it was the first....anyway my pops and him patched things up and I finally saw the possibilities the military provides. So I joined and actually met Gary and told him my story.

    • @Dronescapes
      @Dronescapes  2 года назад +1

      Great story. Thank for sharing

    • @southjerseysound7340
      @southjerseysound7340 2 года назад

      @@Dronescapes thanks for the great channel....... There's more to it like how my dad and uncle flipped a coin to decide who went to Vietnam and who stayed home. My uncle won 2 out of 3 and my dad always felt guilty. But thankfully we started treating our veterans better in the 90s instead of spitting in their faces during the Vietnam era. I'm not that old and I even remember how they were treated and I'm thankful that even though they weren't talking,my dad made sure I checked on him growing up.

    • @Dronescapes
      @Dronescapes  2 года назад

      @@southjerseysound7340 very impressive. Thank you for your service. I sure hope that showing these videos can help raise the awareness.

  • @alnka1974
    @alnka1974 Год назад

    The opening theme of this documentary is so epic.

  • @timandshannon03
    @timandshannon03 2 года назад +1

    I lived in Sacramento CA, literally 2 blocks from the main gates of Mather AFB. Seen the U2 fly over my home multiple times, been by Beale, and Travis, and McClellan seen many, many Air Force Planes, but none made me stop, and say "Look a U-2!" Didn't matter if I was 11, or 44! Same reaction!

    • @kiowablue2862
      @kiowablue2862 2 года назад

      I worked in the 323rd AMS Radar shop at Mather from 74 to 77. The building's back door opened directly to the aircraft parking ramp. One morning, while dispatched to an aircraft for an avionics repair, I was lucky enough to watch a U-2 take off
      roll and climb-out. The pilot pulled the nose up to a steep climb and held it there til he was out of sight. Amazing aircraft.

  • @thomasfx3190
    @thomasfx3190 10 месяцев назад

    Terrific video, always been a U2 fan but have never seen the ops / flight medicine side of it, very cool. 🇺🇸

  • @Airsally
    @Airsally 2 года назад

    Just awesome thanks for sharing this story and info with us ....truly amazing views from up there.

  • @marceloccarmello7978
    @marceloccarmello7978 11 месяцев назад

    Great. Thanks for sharing.

  • @FlywithMagnar
    @FlywithMagnar 2 года назад +2

    Why don't they make good documentaries like this anymore?

  • @dirtyd2316
    @dirtyd2316 Год назад +1

    Watching this makes me so thankful to all the people that put their lives on the line in defense of our country and makes me proud to be an American.

  • @phmwu7368
    @phmwu7368 2 года назад +2

    Besides the May 1, 1960 Gary Powers incident, the most interesting U-2 events took place during the 35 days Cuba crisis October-November 1962 and post-crisis island monitoring flights.
    In November 1963, pilot J.H. suffocated and his U-2C crashed in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. In July 1966, pilot R.H. passed out as his U-2C continued 3500 Km to crash near La Paz - Bolivia!
    Then again the most amazing events testing out new technologies have never been mentioned in any of the available online videos... Maybe better so ! Solum Volamus 🤨

  • @jetfueljp4
    @jetfueljp4 2 года назад +1

    Lt Dan is the man.

  • @CT-gm8nn
    @CT-gm8nn 2 года назад +3

    Video quality makes it look like it’s all AI generated… interesting to watch never the less.

    • @cowboybob7093
      @cowboybob7093 2 года назад

      Imagine how much effort it would take to generate an hour long AI clip. Some poor guy with awesome AI chops but no concept of what's needed to make it generate revenue to cover expenses. #humor

  • @chrismoody1342
    @chrismoody1342 2 года назад +2

    Gary said it; a full voluntary armed forces. This is why we the US are the best military in the world. No conscripts, everyone of them chose to volunteer to join no matter the branch served in. Huge shout out to all of them. My own family has 4 members who signed on the dotted line to serve. From WW2 to Afghanistan and Iraqi.
    To Gary, our Lt. Dan, thank you for all you have done to serve and entertain our military services around the world. I beam with pride that only the best of the best represent us whether in country or abroad. God Bless these United States of America. 🇺🇸

  • @adhoc9647
    @adhoc9647 2 года назад +1

    Awesome!

  • @Scopesdoped
    @Scopesdoped Год назад

    gary sinese coming in at the end to knock yall the fuck out and get you choked up for no apparent reason, be aware. LOL

  • @dandeetorregosa4185
    @dandeetorregosa4185 2 года назад +1

    Good jod Gary Sinise

  • @dufus7396
    @dufus7396 2 года назад

    The Russians must have been exicted examining the downed one.

  • @Dronescapes
    @Dronescapes  2 года назад +1

    Click the link to watch more aircraft, heroes and their stories, missions: ruclips.net/p/PLBI4gRjPKfnNx3Mp4xzYTtVARDWEr6nrT

  • @daniel1111aldo
    @daniel1111aldo 8 месяцев назад

    If all goes well I'll be the highest person in the world... haha

  • @antonferreira483
    @antonferreira483 2 года назад +1

    All of this for what?
    To take a few pix of an enemy that self-destructed anyway.

  • @BTW...
    @BTW... 2 года назад +3

    Why so much grandiose BS ?