U-2 carrier operation and other recon missions

I heard a story of an aircraft (I think it was a U-2 but I'm not positive) that was near the North Pole and was flying south however he was off course and didn't realize he was flying toward USSR. We had radar and could see that he was off course but we did not want to let the Soviet Union know that we had radar that could see as far as he was, so the radar operators made some subtle hints to check his course, I think they suggested the pilot home in on a beacon, which was enough to let the pilot figure out that he was off course and heading toward the Soviet Union. When he turned around and changed his course there were already squadrons of fighters scrambled to intercept him. It happened during the Cuban missile crisis and very well could have triggered Armageddon.
(Source documentary. On the Brink: Doomsday)
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This next story is very interesting however I cannot vouch for its credibility. I would consider it an air man legend. My first instinct is that the story is a yarn, however it does sound reasonably plausible, and there are reasons I think it might be true.

Allegedly a U-2 flamed out over Ohio (near WPAFB), and glided all the way to Texas and landed safely.

Perhaps someone can confirm or debunk this story.
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The following is true though it may not sound like it


U-2
http://www.spyflight.co.uk/u2.htm

Did you know that the U-2 could operate from a carrier?
http://www.spyflight.co.uk/u-2s.htm







Did you know that we occasionally flew armed reconnaissance missions and in some cases actually exchanged fire with the Soviets with the aircraft like the RB-47?
http://www.spyflight.co.uk/rb47.htm

RB-47s even over flew Russia. This is a map from one mission.


An RB-47 even exchanged fire with 6 MIG-17s. This is the hole that was left if the RB-47. The mission gave the U.S. the best MIG-17 photo it had to that date.


A photo of a Russia airbase the RB-47 over flew on the same mission 6 Migs attacked the RB-47.


Photographs of some MIG-17s shortly before they opened fire on a RB-47. The mission gave the U.S. the best MIG-17 photo it had to that date.



Early on the morning of 8 May 1954, three RB-47's took off from Fairford, RAFB in Great Britain and flew around Norway to Murmansk. Two of the aircraft returned the way they came, the third, piloted by Capt. Hal Austin, flew south deep into Soviet territory - their objective: to conduct photo intelligence operations against nine different airbases in hopes of isolating Russian long-range bombers. And as an added bonus, possibly detecting for the first time, the operational deployment of Soviet MIG-17 Fresco's. Early into the overflight several MIG-15 Fagot's attempted to identify the intruders as friendly or foe, but because of the RB-47's altitude the 15's were no match for the lofty medium bombers. Just a few minutes later however, before Austin, his Co-Pilot, Carl Holt, and their navigator, Vance Heavilin, knew what hit them, several MIG-17's had engaged them in a hail of cannon fire they likened to hell's fury. They never expected the MIG-17's. The SAC Intel Officers who briefed them prior to departing England knew the possibility existed, but never bothered to tell Austin or his crew. That was the way back then, as it is now, 'the need to know'. The MIG-15's had obviously determined that the SAC bomber was unfriendly. The reconnaissance-configured bomber was shelled, ripping a gashing hole in its skin, and tracers continued to flash by on all sides. Austin, calling upon his training as an aircraft commander, miraculously maneuvered his bomber out of harm's way and back to Fairford.

A photo from the gun-sight camera of a MiG-17 shows the shoot down of an RC-130 over Armenia Sept. 2, 1958. (Photo courtesy of Senior Airman John Simpson III)

http://www.nsa.gov/vigilance/vigil00007.cfm





Grimes said Soviets shot down more than 30 U.S. aircraft and 200 crewmembers during the Cold War.
http://www.beanerbanner.com/BB%202/RC-130%20Shoot%20Down.htm

http://www.coldwar.org

http://www.spectrumwd.com/c130/display/park01.htm

http://www.rb-29.net/HTML/31HAustinB-47/31harb-472.htm

http://arlingtoncemetery.net/wgpalm.htm

http://www.b-47.com/Stories/austin/austin.html

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/rb-47.htm

Reconnaissance Aircraft attacked, damaged or shot down List/Chart
http://www.spyflight.co.uk/shootdown.htm

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/bookrev/lashmar.html

As for the U-2 gliding from Wright Patt to Texas: not likely. The current U-2 (bigger than the ones built in the 50's, but similar glide characteristics) has a 22:1 glide ratio if it's clean. That equates to about 250nm. Add in a tailwind from the jet stream, and you can go a bit further. Now, if he was 300 miles out over the ocean, and trying to stretch it as far toward land as he could, I could see going the full 250nm, or even more (with wind). But to overfly a bunch of airports from Ohio to Texas doesn't pass the common sense check either.

huggy wrote:As for the U-2 gliding from Wright Patt to Texas: not likely. The current U-2 (bigger than the ones built in the 50's, but similar glide characteristics) has a 22:1 glide ratio if it's clean. That equates to about 250nm. Add in a tailwind from the jet stream, and you can go a bit further. Now, if he was 300 miles out over the ocean, and trying to stretch it as far toward land as he could, I could see going the full 250nm, or even more (with wind). But to overfly a bunch of airports from Ohio to Texas doesn't pass the common sense check either.

Thanks

When I first heard the story I thought it was a yarn. I thought it was odd that the pilot went for Texas, I thought it made more sense that it might try for Edwards or Grooms, but then when I considered that would probably be into the jet stream, the Texas story seem to make more sense.

I still severely doubted the story, however when I heard about the Airbus that glided for about 100 miles it made me reconsider.

If your glide ratio specifications are correct it would take an incredible amount of thermals and tail winds to make the glide all the way from WPAFB to Texas possible. It is so far that I consider it extremely unlikely, especially under emergency conditions.

There has been other incidences of aircraft having an emergency yet over flying airports. The reason why is that if you have an emergency at high altitude you just can't go straight down with most aircraft without causing catastrophic structural damage and breaking rules. So sometimes pilots will use the energy that they have stored up in altitude to seek a more appropriate airport rather than circle.

I suspect the story I heard is a yarn that is probably derived (with a lot of artistic license) from this story.

marinesgt2002 wrote:U-2 that glided 200 miles: Here are some details:

On 13 Oct, 1960 Capt Robert Hall was ferrying a U-2 from Laughlin AFB to Hickam AFB as part of the first Crowflight deployment to Australia.

At 60,000 feet he lost all hydraulics, and the engine soon flamed out. He radioed a Mayday call, which was picked up by a passing Pan-Am aircraft, and relayed to Hickam.

From 39,000 feet he was able to glide into Hickam for a dead-stick landing.

It seems it was 150 miles he glided, but it was into the headwind, so it might be the equivalent of more then 200 miles by air.

Here's what I know about the U-2 getting lost: it was on the same day Rudy Anderson was shot down and killed over Cuba. The U-2's were flying air sampling missions from Eielson AFB, Alaska, and their path took them to the north pole. Navigation up there is tough, and invovled lots of attention to detail, and taking celestial shots with a sextant (try THAT in a U-2 cockpit, while in a pressure suit!). Anyways, the pilot was Capt Chuck Maultsby, who flew with the Thunderbirds from '57-'61, before coming to the U-2. A C-54 on frequency called to say they could see sunrise. Then, a U-2 pilot a Eielson called and said he could see sunrise too. But Maultsby couldn't, meaning he was much further west. He was told to turn 90 degrees left (he was originally heading south). Our radar sites detected Soviet fighters climbing to get an intruder over the Chukotsky Peninsula.
But the fun isn't over yet! He burned so much fuel getting lost, that he couldn't quite make it back. He shut the engine down and elected to glide to a remote airfield on the frozen tundra, and restart the engine upon arrival. However, the engine wouldn't restart, so he got to do a deadstick landing at a small remote field with his faceplate frozen over. Mission duration: 10h 25m.


As for the U-2 flights on and off of the carrier, there is video of it, too. In fact, all current U-2's can fold the last 70" of each wingtip, supposedly to help fit on a carrier elevator.
The aircraft hook from these test was recovered from the scrap yard in the 90's, just before being destroyed, and now hangs at Beale.

Huggy,

Thanks for the great stories !

I hadn't heard the details of Capt. Maultsby's flight - very interesting indeed. I do recall reading about some of the modifications made to the U2-G models for carrier operation such as different flap capabilities and strengthening around certain areas.

Glad someone saved that tailhook !

Realize that the U-2G was one of the older, U-2C model-sized aircraft. When they decided to do the aircraft carrier tests again in 1969, they used a U-2R model with the hook, and wing tip/tail wheel cages. But it was a full-size U-2R (i.e. 104' wingspan), not a modified U-2C.
The current U-2 fleet is still supposed to be able to go to 50 degree flaps for carrier ops. I don't know if it's true. The current max flap setting on the U-2 is 35 degrees.

Doh !

Forgot about that one . I do remember reading that they'd strengthened the fuse and gear on that one. I'll have to go back and re-read some more of that info .

I hope they've left some of the U-2's shipboard capabilities in tact - might come in handy sometime . Hey, at least we know she can launch from a carrier !

Funny you mention that: the last U-2 with a the old cockpit, i.e. a "non-glass cockpit" just left Beale about 3 weeks ago to get converted to the new Block 20 (e.g. glass cockpit) configuration. I mention that because all the old cockpits still had a switch in them for the "Arresting Hook", which has been removed in the Block 20.
The emergency gear release in the U-2 is still designed to lower the hook in a pinch, though.
Another side note: the launches off the carrier were done without the catapult. The U-2 just powered up, released brakes, and left.

Thanks for that info, huggy !

Glad there's still some way to lower a hook, just wonder how they'd install it. BTW, glass cockpit looks pretty darn cool . With as much lift as that wing generates, I imagine it's pretty easy to get off the boat !

Have fun and have a happy Memorial Day and thank you for your service !

Video of a few tests.

http://www.creativefission.com/Frame_MO ... 0x240.html

WAY TOO COOL

Thanks for the vid