Pilots had to keep the U-2 spy plane flying at a true airspeed of 460 mph to ensure it didn't stall out or encounter high-speed buffeting. It was a struggle.

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) — On the evening of July 31, a TU-2S Dragon Lady from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing took off from Beale Air Force Base to begin a flight unlike any the U-2 airframe ...

There is currently an active force of 33 LockheedU-2s in theUS Air Force inventory. Called the 'Dragon Lady,' the ultra-high altitude spyplane can soar to such great heights that its pilots wore what ...

TheUnited States Air Forceoperates a mix of modern and legacy aircraft that are built for long endurance, high survivability, and strategic reconnaissance, many of which date back decades. Among these ...

As the Office of the Secretary of Defense weighs a premature retirement of the U-2, manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s argument to save the program is that “there is no other high-altitude platform that ...

Two U-2 pilots, including a Wisconsin native, share rare insights on the legendary spy plane’s enduring legacy and relevance in today’s battlespace. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 drew a record-breaking ...

At the 2025 Royal International Air Tattoo, US aircraft like the B-1B and U-2 showcased American airpower and diplomacy, possibly marking the U-2’s final appearance before retirement. The Royal Air ...

Seventy years after the Lockheed Martin U-2 spyplane made its first flight, the distinctive high-altitude jet has set a new endurance record for the type. A two-seat TU-2S trainer variant of the U-2 ...

Even more Top Secret than the Lockheed SR-71, the D-21 drone was a promising Cold War idea that could have eliminated the need for manned overflights, although it was mostly unsuccessful. After the ...