Yet Another Version of the U2?
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Yet Another Version of the U2?
This time it's dubbed the U2S which, to add to that airframe's many existing talents, looks like it's taking on a comms-hub role too. There's an article over at Aviation Week here.
In the article there's a picture of U-2S 80-1099 being loaded into a jig dubbed "RF50". I'm not a fuselages expert, but to me it looks like they're going to give the fuselage a jolly good tweak, straighten it up again. I suppose if you're going to have airframes flying for several decades or so it's worth having a jig to straighten them up after a bit of a prang. Or, is it simply a jig to hold it whilst the panel beaters set to work?
Anyway, nice to see one of the iconic aircraft of the last century getting yet another life extension to take it well into this one.
In the article there's a picture of U-2S 80-1099 being loaded into a jig dubbed "RF50". I'm not a fuselages expert, but to me it looks like they're going to give the fuselage a jolly good tweak, straighten it up again. I suppose if you're going to have airframes flying for several decades or so it's worth having a jig to straighten them up after a bit of a prang. Or, is it simply a jig to hold it whilst the panel beaters set to work?
Anyway, nice to see one of the iconic aircraft of the last century getting yet another life extension to take it well into this one.
That's just a holding fixture, not really stiff enough for anything else besides light hand tool work. The frames at each end are fixed and cannot rotate from what I can see in that picture.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
The U-2S First flew in 1994, over 25 years ago.....
U-2S - Redesignation of the TR-1A and U-2R aircraft with updated General Electric F118 engine, improved sensors, and addition of a GPS receiver; 31 converted.
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-She...560/u-2stu-2s/
U-2S - Redesignation of the TR-1A and U-2R aircraft with updated General Electric F118 engine, improved sensors, and addition of a GPS receiver; 31 converted.
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-She...560/u-2stu-2s/
