Why is the Lockheed U-2 still flying more than 70 years after its first flight? Built in the 1950s as a CIA spy plane to conduct reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the U-2 has outlasted satellites, drones like the RQ-4 Global Hawk, and many aircraft intended to replace it, including the SR-71 Blackbird. Yet today, the U-2S remains in active service, conducting reconnaissance missions around the world. Developed by Lockheed’s Skunk Works, the U-2’s unusual design allows it to fly for more than 10 hours and cover over 11,000 kilometers without refueling, while carrying a wide variety of interchangeable cameras, sensors, and intelligence-gathering equipment. Over its long career, the reconnaissance aircraft has photographed Soviet missile sites during the Cuban Missile Crisis, supported operations from Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq, and continued flying missions into the modern era. In this Airspeed video, we break down the U-2 Dragon Lady to see how it was designed to operate at extreme altitudes, how it became one of America’s most important reconnaissance aircraft, and why decades of newer technology have still struggled to replace it.
