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109 – Flying the U-2 Dragon Lady
This is the long-awaited episode about the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance airplaine, the highest-flying jet-powered airplane currently in use. Our guest in the episode is Carl LaRue who has been flying the U-2C and the U-2R in the 60s and 70s. In the episode we discuss the airplane itself, the challenge of flying it, as well as a number of anecdotes surrounding the Dragon Lady.
U-2 Videos:
- Lockheed U-2S “Dragon Lady” Cockpit Tour
- U-2 take off RAF Fairford
- U-2 Takeoff
- Ride in a U2 at Beale AFB
- U-2 Takeoff, Chase Landing
- James May rides in a U-2
Links:
- Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady
- Davis Monthan AFB
- Francis Gary Powers
- SR-71 at omega tau
- Compressor Stall
- Flameout
- ASK-13
- Lockheed Skunk Works
- Coffin Corner
- Pressure Suit
- David Clark Company
- Hypobaric Chamber
- The Bends
- Steve Fossett
- Mountain Wave Project (omega tau episode)
- Indicated Airspeed
- True Airspeed
- Mach Number
- TACAN
- VOR
- Precision Approach Radar
- Dead Reckoning
- INS
- GPS
- Ring-Laser Gyro
- Collimator
- B-47
- Yaw String
- McCoy AFB
- Sideslip
- Mendoza, Argentina
- Military Jet Fuels
- Lockheed C-130
- SA-16
- Flutter
- Aeronca Champion
- Lancair IVp
- Cessna 310
- Cessna Skymaster
- T-33
- PIO
- SAC
Posted: November 29th, 2012 under podcast, podcast (en).
Tags: aviation
Comments
Comment from Geoffrey
Time December 6, 2012 at 8:47 am
I interrupted clearing the backlog of omega tau podcasts to listen to this on as soon as it downloaded. Just like you Markus, I was looking forward to this one. It’s certainly a remarkable aircraft. Excellent interview.
Comment from MaNo
Time December 6, 2012 at 1:20 pm
thanks :-)
Comment from martin
Time December 6, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Not just a cool aircraft but an entertaining talk. More anecdote than dry technical content – so non-experts might need to look up why coffin-corner is bad. In the same style as #73, does the USAF select it’s pilots solely on the basis of being interesting, engaging speakers?
Comment from MaNo
Time December 6, 2012 at 8:56 pm
They have at least one more skill: they can fly reasonably well, otherwise they wouldn’t survive to the age where they can tell all these stories :-)
Comment from anmasijo
Time December 6, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Definitely one of my favorite episodes! I already had the same thought as martin above: nearly all of those pilots you talked to were so very convincing in their talk, they really lived their job!
I also did learn many new aspects of flying in these special terms and was barely astonished for instance about the take-off capabilities (e.g. 200 ft of running before take-off, 45 to 50° angle of climbing…) and the fact, that there is so little power necessary for flying at the high altitudes, etc, etc.
Really, really good stuff and a humorous, experienced and willing guest Carl LaRue!
Thanks a lot to both of you!
LOL: PIO… Pilot induced oscillation…
Und als Segelflieger ist diese Episode tatsächlich doppelt interessant, trennt einen doch fast nur dieses Triebwerk von ansonsten vielen gemeinsamen Erfahrungen…
Comment from MaNo
Time December 7, 2012 at 4:05 pm
The 200ft takeoff roll also surprised me!
Thanks for your nice words – I will forward them to Carl!
Markus
Pingback from Anonymous
Time December 2, 2012 at 10:54 pm
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