[Traben]

U-2 Dragon Lady
- Reconnaissance Aircraft -



- U-2 Image A - U-2 Image B -

ORIGIN: (Real World)
United States of America

GAMES FEATURED IN:
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception

OPERATORS:
Independent State Allied Forces
Leasath Air Force

NOTABLE UNITS:
Leopard / ISAF (AC04)

OVERVIEW:
The U-2, nicknamed Dragon Lady, is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude Surveillance aircraft flown by the United States Air Force. It provides continuous day and night, high-altitude (70,000 ft, 21,000 m plus), all-weather surveillance of an area in direct support of U.S. and allied ground and air forces. It also provides critical intelligence to decision-makers through all phases of conflict, including peacetime indications and warnings, crises, operations other than war, and major theater war. The aircraft are also used for electronic sensor research and development, satellite calibration, and satellite data validation.

SOURCES:
Ace Combat Series (In-game Data)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2

* Original article posted by: Solo-Wing Dixie

[JianDaoXiao]

U-2 Dragon Lady blueprints from ISAF

[Grastens 7]

Compressibility... an interesting topic in light of the fact that it made the U-2 so difficult to fly. We likely are very familiar that its stalling speed and its limit were 5 mph apart, though. Early aircraft utilizing the same high-aspect ratio wing seen on the U-2, such as the Westland Welkin, also encountered this problem. In the case of the Welkin, it was changing tactical requirements and complications that terminated the project, but in all likelihood it would have been unpopular in service for this difference between high-incidence stall and shock-stall.

[Scarface tfs]

The main picture is dead.

[JianDaoXiao]

So, that top pod is a tanker? or and radar device?... because both models have them
U-2 Leasath:


U-2 ISAF 'Leopold':

[Shirai_Kuroko]

JianDaoXiao, on 22 April 2011 - 12:05 AM, said:

So, that top pod is a tanker? or and radar device?... because both models have them
U-2 Leasath:


U-2 ISAF 'Leopold':

I think that the pod on top of its back is a radar device, or an ELINT device, seeing its function as a recon aircraft.

And as for correction, it is Leopard, not Leopold.

[EstovakianHarrierPlus]

That pod is a fuel tank.

[Shirai_Kuroko]

RoddH, on 22 April 2011 - 01:14 PM, said:

That pod is a fuel tank.

A fuel tank? But how?

[EstovakianHarrierPlus]

Sorry for the crappy pics, this is from the oct 9 2010 airshow.







What do you guys think?

[EstovakianHarrierPlus]

Btw, sato.. the fuel tank pod I was mentioning is positioned on the wings.

[Shirai_Kuroko]

RoddH, on 22 April 2011 - 02:14 PM, said:

Btw, sato.. the fuel tank pod I was mentioning is positioned on the wings.

So, I wonder what are those pods on the back of the U-2. Could be an electronic device, though

[Protostealth]

I don't see any pods but those on the wings.

[EstovakianHarrierPlus]

That;s what I meant, those things on the wing.

[Eurocanard]

Did some digging...the pod on the back is a Senior Spur satellite uplink, used to transmit images from the U-2. Which makes its presence on the U-2 in AC04 a bit odd, since the whole point of that mission was to recover the U-2 so the photos of Megalith could be analyzed...but this pod would make that pointless. Unless the images were taken after the plane was hit, and it couldn't transmit them because of damage

[EstovakianHarrierPlus]

Pretty odd lol, Leasath Dragonlady's have that pod too.

[Shirai_Kuroko]

Unless if the mission is a secret mission that is restricted from using data transmission due to risk of interception by Erusian forces, it could mean that after taking the images, the plane suffers from some odd problems, or get hit by a SAM before it was able to transmit the pics to ISAF HQ.(Most likely the former, as a SAM could've destroyed Leopard long before)

[EstovakianHarrierPlus]

Leasath Dragonlady's seem solid as a brick when you fly into them, is Leopard also solid as a brick when you crash into him?