Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!rutgers!att!cbnews!military From: bsk@portia.Stanford.EDU (Brian Keller) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: SR-71 airframes Message-ID: <1990Oct15.034217.13888@cbnews.att.com> Date: 15 Oct 90 03:42:17 GMT References: <1990Oct8.030627.12341@cbnews.att.com> <1990Oct8.221014.7595@cbnews.att.com> <1990Oct11.051410.809@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military-request@att.att.com Organization: AIR, Stanford University Lines: 42 Approved: military@att.att.com From: bsk@portia.Stanford.EDU (Brian Keller) In article <1990Oct11.051410.809@cbnews.att.com> writes: > >I have heard this also from a girl I went out with a couple of >times. We were talking about what members of our family did >and she said that her brother was a U-2 pilot in (?) Northern >California. I thought it odd and kept asking her if it really >was a U-2. She said that it was despite me arguing with her. >I thought they were all out of use, but who knows? I'll see >if I can find her again and maybe get some more info, anything >to benefit sci.military! > Yes, a number of U-2's are stationed at Beale AFB, N of Sacramento. This is the same place where a good bunch of the SR-71's operated from. They described the U-2 as being quite a workhorse for the AF still, especially for monitoring countries without impressive defensive systems. They specifically mentioned use over Nicaragua back when that was a hot area. They are impressive not only because of their operating altitude but also because of their LONG loiter time, on the order of 12 hours as I recall. By the way, they are now called something else (TR-2's??) but are basically the same plane but with more endurance and higher max alt than the original. We (student chapter of AIAA, Am. Institute of Aeron. and Astron.) had the good fortune to tour Beale a few years ago. U-2's were practicing take-offs - they are LOUD on take-off and really seem to leap into the air -> very high climb rate. We also saw a T-38 take-off low toward the horizon (interesting comparison). On the tour, we walked around a U-2 and got to peer into the engine (not much to see) and kick those metal-laced tires of an SR-71 as servicemen changed one of the others. In the afternoon, we saw one of the SR-71's shoot half a dozen touch-and-goes - AWESOME!!!!!!! We were all inside at the time and ran out upon hearing the engines knowing it had to be an SR-71. A T-38 was running chase as they were apparently training someone. We were shown other things at Beale, such as the suits, pressure chambers, etc. - a great place to tour, but it must be arranged fairly well in advance. Brian Keller bsk@sun-valley.stanford.edu