KerbalX

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: aircraft
• Part Count: 66
• Mods: 6

Mods

• B9 Procedural Wings Modified
• BDArmory
• Discontinued Parts
• Procedural Parts
• Squad (stock)
• TweakScale - Rescale Everything!

Description

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Dragon Lady - Ultra high altitude reconnaisance (spy) aircraft operated by USAF, and previously by the CIA from 1956. Has had an instrumental role in all conflicts since its introduction, including, most famously, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
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The U-2 Spyplane was another brainchild of Lockheed Skunkworks legend Clarence Kelly Johnson. It was designed for minimum weight and maximum lift (with a wingspan of 103ft), sluggish to respond to control inputs at low level, prone to being blown away by crosswinds, and as such was quite difficult to fly. It had glider-like characteristics with a glide-ratio of 23:1, and an operational ceiling of 70,000ft. The U2 had a bicycle landing-gear arrangement, with wing-stabilisers (pogos) which were detatched during takeoff.

On landing, the U2 would slow, and come to rest leaning on one wing-tip skid.
The cockpit of the UI2 was only partially pressurized, so pilots wore space-suits, and had to breathe 100% oxygen for an hour prior to takeoff to stave off decompression sickness.
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A top secret project, at the time of introduction the U-2 was believed by strategists to fly so high it was beyond the range of interceptors or surface-to-air missiles, and could therefore fly over Soviet airspace with impunity. The shooting down of Gary Powers' U-2 by Soviet SAMs in 1960 proved this was not the case, and attention shifted from altitude to stealth, with the development of the A-12 Oxcart, and SR-71 Blackbird. Nevertheless the U-2 remained in use by USAF, and actually outlasted the SR-71, continuing to be used for strategic reconnaissance into the 2010s. The U-2 is due to finally retire in 2019 - replaced by the unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk. However, Lockheed claims the U-2 may remain viable until 2050.
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This model has been built with 66 parts, to exact scale, and using appropriate systems, weapons and colour scheme where possible. Due to the peculiarities of KSP’s dealings with jet engines, it has not been possible to recreate the U-2’s high altitude performance with a turbofan engine, and so, reluctantly, a stock ramjet has been used to replicate the U-2’s real capabilities.
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Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.1.3.
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AedsPlanes are replicas of historic aircraft built as accurately as possible, and usually to 1:1 scale. Enjoy the experience of being a real Kerbal Airforce pilot!
(For added immersion, install flag mod World Aircraft Insignia by ChaseAEd and add real airforce roundels to your planes).