U-2: How the Legendary Spy Plane was Born - DOCUMENTARY

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Our historical documentary series on the history of the Cold War continues with a video on the development of the Lockheed U-2, an aircraft designed to avoid detection and provide data and information for the United States.
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#ColdWar #U2 #Lockheed #U-2 #Spy #SpyPlane #ColdWarHistory

[@creatoruser736]

USSR: "But you said no US military planes had flown over Soviet soil." US: "The plane that flew over Soviet soil was operated by the CIA, not the military. So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view."

[@brokenbridge6316]

Fun Fact: A U-2 spy plane was used to take photo's of Iraq's military at around the time of the 1st Gulf War. My compliments to all those who made this video a reality.

[@sundhaug92]

Fun fact: The U-2 is based on the F-104 starfighter, but weighs the same. It lands on a bicycle-gear configuration to save weight.

[@gr8990]

In the sense that it was only the fuselage of the F-104, but ok.

[@bigblue6917]

It is hard not to think there is a connection but that has been deigned. Though personally I also think it is based on the F-104.

[@throwback19841]

It was 100% based on the f104, espec as the 104 was developed by the same skunkworks team at Lockheed and the project had a very tight deadline, so going with their existing airframe removed all sorts of challenges for the team.

[@iannarita9816]

One of the reasons the U-2 was such a difficult aircraft to fly was the stall speed was 409knots and at 67,000 feet mach 1 is 415 knots. IIRC.

[@gr8990]

Check out “Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed” by Ben Rich, who was Kelly Johnson’s successor. It is a fantastic and informative read on the U-2, SR-71 and F-117. Highly recommend for this topic.

[@straddlecakes]

Fun Fact: the U-2 was equipped with a self destruct button which Powers did not punch either due to centrifugal forces or indecision before bailing out.

[@stephen9869]

I challenge anybody to make a presentation on the U2 WITHOUT mentioning Francis Gary Powers :P P.S I applaud the fantastic graphics and visual presentation upgrades!

[@sundhaug92]

Minor point: The U-2 pictured is the U-2R (TR-1A), not a variant flown that early during the cold war

[@someguy1231]

I thought U2 was born in Ireland in 1976? Wait, wrong U2...

[@cocapepsi5101]

literally was scrolling to find someone who would make the joke lol 🎉

[@mrmr446]

Both the mythical bomber and missile gap being examples of one side drastically overestimating the capabilities of the other, are there Soviet equivalents? One I can remember from my youth is the idea that the Warsaw Pact could simply roll westwards and take over the continent, fears of which inspired the 'stay behind' organisations. To the best of my knowledge the Soviets never developed overflight capabilities to do the same thing to the continental USA.

[@koc988]

No but they developed the mig 25 and 31, to which we responded with the f-15 f-16 and f-18. One up manship created the arms race.

[@iKvetch558]

No, the Soviets never flew air breathing aircraft over the US, but they did not need to. Almost all the intelligence the US gathered from overflights the Soviet Union could get from the people they sent in covered as tourists, who could take pictures of US aircraft and other military equipment at the fences of most the bases around the country. Only a few highly secure facilities where equipment was developed were not easily photographable by the USSR, and they had other intelligence assets to gain access to information on what was going on at those facilities. Historically speaking, compared to the USSR, the USA has always been pretty crappy at keeping secrets...even when we try really hard.

[@scottkrater2131]

I'd guess since US planes could make a one way trip over the Soviet Union and land in a different country than it departed from making it harder to intercept may have played a part. Soviet aircraft would have to fly over Canadian airspace and have to return the same way. Besides they were working on satellites which would eventually be able to get the same intelligence cheaper and without risk. Just sayin.

[@iannarita9816]

Welcome to Liberal Democracy.

[@Marinealver]

Best to error on the side of caution, underestimating your enemy has been well proven to be a fatal mistake.

[@TheMormonPower]

For some reason, I thought there were far more flights over the USSR.

[@henktwerda9694]

Great video. I don’t understand the link between the name ‘Dragonfly’ and racism. Eisenhower could also have used the fact that the USA never formally recognized the annexation of the Baltic States to continue U2-flights over the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania while (truthfully) denying violation of Soviet airspace.

[@janispetke9519]

Dragon Lady, as in Asian woman :)

[@boobah5643]

@@janispetke9519 More specifically, the 'Dragon Lady' was a villainous archetype in fiction, one that made a habit of executing minions who failed in even trivial ways. Also, physically harmless without her minions.

[@michaelrandy8764]

It's nickname was "the angel or the article" back in the early 1960s, but by the 1970s It's rumored there was a strip club in Vietnam called "the Dragon Lady" to which it got its name from.

[@OrijitKar]

Nice editing! The animations were very nicely integrated 👌

[@janispetke9519]

And remember to fly above all other bell buttons, in order to avoid detection and interception by hostile bell buttons to safely press our bell button and return to base.

[@abhimanyurathi2837]

The dragon lady ❤

[@clandestineoperations3888]

Awesome & very well done!!! IMPRESSIVE!!!

[@coldwarconcealment]

This is a great channel, and I really enjoy the new graphics!

Great Video

[@beachboy0505]

Excellent video 📹 Excellent graphics

[@tomalexander4327]

Love the art in this

[@jasongarufi8187]

Thanks for describing the history of the U-2.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Awesome!

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thanks

[@hantykje3005]

@19:08 Gary Francis Power's shoot-down i 1960, and the fact the was supposed to clandestinely land in my country, Norway turned into a huge domestic politically scandal. Khrushchev threatened to level the city of Bodo (where the plane was supposed to land) with nuclear weapons if this happened again. The 1960 U2- incident also put the Norwegian government into a nasty squeeze. Were the Norwegian authorities really in control of what other NATO countries did in Norway at the time, and if yes what kind of Norwegian authorities? The Norwegian spy Selmer Nielsen working for the GRU was also waiting to confirm Soviet suspicions that the U2 had been operating in and out of Bodo airport. He was arrested by co-incident in 1967. After having coercivly worked for the GRU over 17 years since he had been a teenager.

[@vulpo]

What is the GRU?

[@ragnaroni]

Early video? Very happy!

[@thomilsvlog4544]

Love the RAF Luton shoutout! Posted from a Canberra

[@douglasbyram6802]

I absolutely love the graphics on this video. Well done as always.

[@christopherconard2831]

I choose to take multiple pictures of Bell Button from 3' with microfilm camera.

[@Karnegis]

I live near Beale AFB and regularly see U-2’s flying. In 2016 one crashed into the Sutter Buttes the world’s smallest mountain range a few miles from my house.

[@tng2057]

Interestingly nothing was mentioned about U2 operations from Taiwan in the early 60s. It was a substantial effort at the time.

[@marshallblanton3690]

Awesome content Im a sucker for anything US related

[@Sacto1654]

Interestingly, the U-2, now known as the TR-1 nowadays, still flies for the USAF on recon missions in less contested airspace. They were heavily used in the Middle East in recent years. However, the days of the U-2 may soon be coming to an end. The increasing use of the RQ-4 _Global Hawk_ and the rumored Northrop Grumman RQ-180 RPV planes will allow high altitude reconnaissance without endangering the pilot.

[@ThatGuyWhoLivesinChina]

A great. How about a similar video on Nike?

[@oldgringo2001]

6:07 This is NOT the kind of a U-2 shot down on May 1, 1960 or over Cuba in October 1962.. The two pods under the wings make it a TR-1, a much later development from the U-2 which used side-scan radars instead of cameras.

[@user-cx1ki8li4t]

I remember U2 took off from Pakistan,this led the Soviet Union to attach great importance to India and Afghanistan (Afghanistan and India are Pakistan's neighbors)

[@CARL_093]

I remember the 13 days movie on this

[@Aliasalpha]

The U2 is in that same family as the A10, ugly but somehow beautiful

[@yakota18]

I'm stationed at NAF Atsugi and did not know U-2s were stationed here.

[@bigblue6917]

The British Royal Air Force worked very closely with America at this time with regards to photo reconnaissance. When Eisenhour banned USAF flights over Russia the RAF took over flying from USAF bases in England using USAF aircraft. They would then do similar missions using the RAF's own Canberra photo reconnaissance aircraft. I have seen interviews with a former RAF pilot who were flying the U-2 in the late 50's. Check out U2 RAF pilot W/C Robbie Robinson. Interview with Paul Lashmar 16 May 1993 on KZbin kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmeXkmaaZt54iZY Apparently once at altitude the pilot had to keep the aircrafts speed within some 10 knots of required level flight speed for fear of ripping the wings off. Hats off to the pilots for that feat.

[@cseguin]

Question - how is the moniker "dragon lady" racist?

[@Zorglub1966]

maybe offending for reptilian transgenders?🤣

[@KofteG61]

Uncle Google says the name is a stereotype for (South) East Asian women.

[@AloisWeimar]

Clint Eastwoods character says it a lot in Grand Torino

[@Zorglub1966]

@@KofteG61 Ok, thank you.😉

[@beachboy0505]

6:52 The lack of wing -spars made the plane fragile.

[@johnwilliams9179]

Showed up for a concert, must have been a miscommunication

[@AryanKumar-fz2dm]

Note-: After Indian defeat in 1962 sino-indian war, US asked Indian intelligence agency RAW to help photograph Chinese missile and nuclear developments. After some reluctance, they said yes, but a sore point between them was the processing of images. CIA wanted to process them in Langley after which an edited version would be sent to India, but India wanted a processing station in India. Nevertheless, the first flight took place from Charbatia (in today's odisha), India to photographs the said sites in Tibet, on May 23, 1964. However, only 4 days later, the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru died, due to which the US-India intelligence cooperation broke down and further flights never happened...

[@jeremyweaver7689]

In my hometown of Bakersfield there was actually an assembly plant that built U-2’s that were then hustled to Area 51 all hidden in plain sight.

[@tremorsfan]

Speaking of top secret UFOs how about doing an episode on Project Mogul; that balloon that crashed over Roswell.

[@tokyosmash]

“The Air Force knew what kind of truth was out there” I see you.

[@khairulhelmihashim2510]

the spy that takes off to the sky

[@-JA-]

👍👏

[@davidwilliams7723]

8:10. Oh God come on.

[@jesseberg3271]

So, basically, every time the Russians developed a new weapon, they would show it off and say, "Soon we will have hundreds more!" and the CIA would say, "Soon! That means months or even weeks!" But in reality, the Soviets meant, "Da, soon, within the next two or three five year plans."

[@cernejr]

Amazing, such short development. The USA of 1950s must have been a different country compared to what we see today.

[@ethanmcfarland8240]

Wydm

[@buggyapp]

It was when the US had a survival instinct. The Titan I missile system was built from breaking ground to an operational hardened ICBM'S pointed at the USSR. It was accomplished in 2 years, 3 months and 4 days with constant construction alterations and a crippling national steel strike. Even with many major hurdles the completion date was never changed. Kennedy issued an executive order to resolve labor issues quickly. It was a national priority to close the perceived.Missile Gap. Because of the U2 flyovers Eisenhower knew the gap wasn't real. The Titan I is fascinating history.

[@theheatinferno8420]

Waiting for your new channel: The Hot War

[@mordok7987]

What about an episode on roswell 1947?

[@josephdupont]

I want to thank you for your great presentation on the the U2 spy plane. Francis Gary Powers KZbin spy plane suffered a flame out and that caused them to lose altitude and that's when they got them had the plane not lost its power and he had to try to restart the engine and he lost altitude but that didn't happen that he probably would have gotten through

[@bigsarge2085]

👍

[@mfk5533]

The RAF Luton comment was weird

[@straddlecakes]

Fun Fact: the "U" in U-2 stands for "Utility." More cover and plausible deniability.

[@heidimiller5475]

I wonder to myself, as I watch spycraft, do you folks ever get tired of keeping secrets?

[@DAGO58]

Why has no one commented yet on you mentioning RAF Luton 😂

[@TheColdWarTV]

I see you, too, are a man of culture and taste.

[@douglasschaden3475]

You'd think that Frank Powers' parents could've come up with a better middle name than "Gary".

[@Luceq]

Fun fact: U2s have to be assisted by a chasing car while landing.

[@raymay4929]

Can you do a video about Augusto Pinochet?

[@beachboy0505]

7:59 1950's racism: Named because it was unforgiving to ineptitude and incompetence.

[@scoutgamer9448]

Why does the border region of Ukra¡ne, Belaru$ and the Federation looks like that (so weird). The area of Klintsy looks like a Salient. Why is that bulge like that??

[@skeetrix5577]

good content but the bell button lines really are cringe af. jus sayin

[@peterhol3]

RAF Luton ..

[@andrewthomson]

How is dragonlady racist in this context?

[@Zorglub1966]

Same, i don't understand.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

RAF Luton? No such place, not in 1955. By 1952 commercial aviation had resume at Luton Airport after an hiatus due to WW2.

[@thomilsvlog4544]

Check out the RAF Luton Twitter account 😉

[@LOBricksAndSecrets]

How is "DragonLady" racist?

[@1991jerzy]

.

[@v4ven925]

Spy in the ground

[@pistoneteo]

Why is dragon lady racist?

[@pathfinder_strider]

Since English is not my native language, would someone please explain me why "The Dragon Lady" has a "racist undertone"?

[@SabinStargem]

My personal guess is that a "Dragon Lady", would be something like a domineering head of an oriental brothel. Basically kimono-wearing ladies with a long smoking pipe and assertive character. That sort of archetype pops up in anime a fair bit, often having dragon symbology to go with their aesthetic. Odds are some westerners saw madams and took home a colorful descriptor of demanding, yet interesting, matrons. That is my hypothesis.

[@pathfinder_strider]

@@SabinStargem Wow, i would have never guessed it. Thank you!

[@thecraigster8888]

Terry and the Pirates was an action comic strip appearing in newspapers of the 1940s era. One of the heroes archenemies was the Dragon Lady. She was roughly a female version of the Fu Man Chu character which embodied typical Western stereotypes of secretive evil Asian cult leaders. As the cartoon series evolved, the Dragon Lady became somewhat of an ally to Terry.

[@MadnessTW]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the racist undertone of the Dragonlady moniker?

[@davidwilliams7723]

There isn't one.

[@iKvetch558]

The hassle from the USSR about the U2 overflights was a big part of the reason why Ike wanted the USSR to launch their satellite first. He did not want a repeat of the problem when the US Corona spy satellites began flying over the Soviet Union, so he believed it was important that the USSR get into orbit first to establish the principle of Freedom of Space.

[@usa-1129]

Fun Fact: 🤪

[@thorthewolf8801]

I saw many comments asking why "dragon lady" is racist, and this really highlights how words only have so much power as you give them. Sure, its only out of lack of knowledge, but the point still stands as far as Im concerned.

[@BeingFireRetardant]

Funny that that was literally the unofficial secret service codename for Hillary during the Clinton years. Her PSD did not like her very much. Wonder why...

[@TheLordblackader]

How does Dragon Lady have "racist undertones" ?

[@jrrrrr5662]

8:10: what racist undertone ? dragon = dangerous beast, lady = affectionate appelation for machines. Please be careful of 'racism, racism everywhere!'.

[@topside1246]

Because it was referring to the strict and demanding attitudes stereotypically given to Asian women by predominantly White nations. That IS racist, but not racism from malice just from ignorance. And that is just how the world was back then.

[@pyeitme508]

Money 💲💰

[@maximusjackassicus3042]

I'm confused, what are the racist undertones in the name "dragon Lady"?

[@Masiba7517]

But West never provokes

[@ilejovcevski79]

Racism huh...

[@Siskiyous6]

You lost me at racist undertones. PC is nonsense. That was the name, an ou do not owe anyone an apology over it.

[@TheBizziniss]

Racist undertone to the name? Jesus, you folks will find anything to be offended about. What’s next? Dragon flies are racist as well?

[@naewenkuo]

Skipping U2 Observing China's atomic bomb at the height of the cold war? en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Cat_Squadron