[Closed] What spy plane did I just see?

Certainly stealthy, I can see fark all.

B1 from Fairford.

Damn you MI6!

[img] [/img]

second that it could be the B1, they have recently been deployed to the UK. A swing wing bomber that when its wings are extended at low level, do look comparitively thin agianst the rest of the somewhat beefy fuselage- they dont however look much like the U2, very different sizes. Amazing craft though, had the pleasue of seeing one up close once. The U2 is indeed still in service but they don't fly from UK USAF bases... or do they... #watchtheskies

Pretty sure U2 is still in service.

Def not a B1. It was fixed wing

I am fairly sure it was the one in the image above but I was directly below it at ( I am guessing) a couple of hundred feet. It looked a bit more compact than the one in the image. The fuel tanks (if that's what they are) were clearly visible

Wiki says it's a TR1A-95rs. Some sort of U2 variant maybe?

Vigilant T1?

😉

You probably saw a TR1.

They used to fly from Alconbury but disbanded in the early 90's?

I think the USAF have been trying to retire the U2 fleet for years, but it just so good at what it does, that they keep on with it.

U2s occasionally head to Fairford.
Just prior to GW2 I worked in a command centre with a B1B pilot. He said not only was it a superb bomber but it actually would have made a great interceptor too due to its superb Radar and performance. Apparently the USAF fighter boys didn't appreciate his suggestions! 😆

Def not a B1. It was fixed wing

how do you know? did you see the wings operating from swept to open?

this is it

[img] [/img]

Pretty sure those wings aren't swinging anywhere

U2's still fly live missions and that's definitely a U2 some longevity for something that first flew in 55 .. Shows just how good the Skunk Works were back in the day !

Yep, it's a TR1, a variant of the U2.

They're very difficult to land apparently, because they have tandem main undercarriage.

Cool!

I have to say I am quite pleased with my spot, it was totally out of the blue.

I wonder how many points I get in the I-Spy book? 🙂

The other day

Last Tuesday?

U2 passed over me at barely 1000 feet. I'd very much guess at it being that.

That's an uber rare bird for your book, now go upset some full time spotters with it.

Not a very good one if you just saw it 🙂

Lockeheed reckon they are good until 2050!

nickhit3 - Member
Def not a B1. It was fixed wing
how do you know? did you see the wings operating from swept to open?

I'm pretty sure, had he seen the wings operating he'd have concluded it wasn't a fixed wing, since, you know, they swung.

Now I'll accept that [i]not[/i] seeing them swing is no guarantee it's fixed wing, but if you're going to be deliberately obnoxious, at least be correct and obnoxious.

but if you're going to be deliberately obnoxious, at least be correct and obnoxious.

want a hug hun?

STW does my head in sometimes. Glad the OP discovered his spy plane.

Pretty sure U2 is still in service

unfortunately, but Bono's not taken the hint yet

was attempting to be "obnoxious"?

because of the written format, it's hard to convey nuance, and bald questions (without the accompanying context) can come across as accusatory.

That's why (probably)

wow. this changes everything.

I think the USAF have been trying to retire the U2 fleet for years, but it just so good at what it does, that they keep on with it.

Not sure Gary Powers would agree with you.

Or Major Anderson (I think that was his name?) a couple of years later 😀

but just 2 over that sort of lifespan (the we know of) is a pretty good flight record.

I dunno. He went back to work for Lockheed as a U-2 pilot after being released.

Who knows what's up there.

My wife once over heard a request on the radio from someone in her (vague) airspace for permission to 'descend to 710', i.e. is it ok if I descend to 71,000 ft.

She and the co-pilot both spat their tea over the instruments on that one.

My wife once over heard a request on the radio from someone in her (vague) airspace for permission to 'descend to 710', i.e. is it ok if I descend to 71,000 ft.

😯

My wife once over heard a request on the radio from someone in her (vague) airspace for permission to 'descend to 710', i.e. is it ok if I descend to 71,000 ft.

One of the (many) Blackbird SR-71 stories has a request to go to flight level 60 which is met by a sarcastic "how on earth do you expect to get there?!" from ATC.
The answer over the airwaves was "descending from flight level 80"

The interweb seems mixed as to whether that's SR-71 or U2 or indeed apocryphal based on the fact that once you're at that altitude you don't really need much permission to do anything!

Watched a U2 land and another prepping for take-off - the pilot's vision is so restricted they need a following vehicle to guide them it. There were bits strapped to the one I saw that we were reminded to not take photos, or that it simply didn't exist....

Didn't know how convoluted landing was, how did that get the go ahead?

sandwicheater,
Because its very good at other things.

Theres a fantastic Mythbusters where Adam Savage went up in one [url=

I think[/url]

even more bizarre is that essentially a U2 is a modified F104...

Didn't know how convoluted landing was, how did that get the go ahead?

Gliders (or at least the Vikings that I used to fly) land in exactly the same way.

[img] [/img]

Admittedly on grass where there's less risk of damaging things but the wings need to be super slim and light to get the lift so you can't have heavy wheels that need loads of space to accommodate them. You just keep in level using increasingly large stick movements as the speed slows until eventually when you're near stationary anyway, the thing just tips gently onto one wing.