High-altitude reconnaissance ·First flight 1955 · In service 1956
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady," is a single-engine, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft flown by the USAF and CIA since the 1950s, gathering intelligence day and night from around 70,000 feet — the edge of space.
It flew over the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam and Cuba during the Cold War; Gary Powers was shot down over the USSR in 1960, and a U-2 was lost during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
One of only a handful of aircraft to have served the USAF for over half a century, the U-2 remains in service today — its glider-like wings and sailplane handling making every landing a two-person affair.
