I can’t seem to find many pics of this aircraft and in the way of good ones the only thing I can find is the NASA reasearch U-2. Anyone outthere got a good website or photos of this bird. At this point I’ll take anything but I am looking for the U-2C as operated by the CIA in the 1960’s. I would like to see what stands out and what doesn’t against the flat black, marking if any and finally The camara ports are also of interest also.
Thanks
Try the following sources:
Wings magazine, June 1983, Vol 13, No. 3
Airpower magazine, July 1983, Vol. 13, No. 4
Lockheed U-2 by Jay Miller (Aerograph 3) published in 1983 (lots of detail & overall photos and line drawings in black-and-white)
Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady by Dennis Jenkins (Specialty Press)
50 Years of the U-2: The Complete Illustrated History of the “Dragon Lady” by Chris Pocock
CIA And The U-2 Program, 1954-1974 (Plastic Comb) by Gregory W. Pedlow (Author), Donald E. Welzenbach (Author), J. Kenneth McDOnald (Author)
The U-2 Spyplane, Toward the Unknown by Chris Pocock (Schiffer)
World Air Power Journal, Vol. 28 Spring 1997 (lots of color photos)
All of these show markings for the different operators. The USAF and the CIA were the two major users.
The U-2 flew in several color schemes, the most common being natural metal and overall very matt black. The problem with the black (and IIRC, that’s what CIA used) is that when photographed, it looks like a black blob with defined edges. You can’t make out much detail. Maybe the detail shots in Miller’s book will help.
As far as the camera ports go, I can’t recall which – if any – of these sources show them but Cutting Edge (www.meteorprod.com) makes an aftermarket detail set specifically for the camera bay.
HTH
Hi
There are a few other good books out there as well.
As far as the camera ports go it would depend on what the camera fit was.
The A type cameras were place line astern in the Q bay and the first and third units were pointed at an angle from the centre line . The middle camera pointing straight down.
The Hycon HR73 , was a single lens which could be rotated across 7 viewing windows which were in a straight line across the Q bay.
The other User of the U-2 was the Republic of China- 35 Squadron. ( The original " Blackcats") They flew some really long missions across the Chinese mainland
ALAN
And of course there’s always a google image search. That’s what i’m doing[:)]
I have located 2 of the books listed, thanks IPMSFl.
It would figure with a name like aj SR71 U2 you would come up with pics. Those were better than the ones I found as far as detail goes. thanks for the pics.
I took some pics of the one at the air force museum but because it’s hung from the rafters in a dark spot no real detail can be had. That is the flattest black I have ever see. It reflects no light back therefore you can’t see surface detail or small contours unless it’s in direct sunlight. I am thinking of building the 1/48 terstors model since I had it lying around here for close to 5 years now. If any of you have built this and have have any suggestions on corrections or build problems I would like to hear them. I’m not going to do a whole lot of extra detailing to it as I have too many of these on my plate right now as it is, Again thanks for the info.
Though i’m working on the R model now, I’ve built the C model several years ago. As i recall, i didn’t have any problems with fit in the least and it all went together rather nicely. I think the only thing i had difficulty was masking and painting the curved lines on the canopy (which is what i’m trying to work through now). But i’m glad to see someone else doing a similar aircraft that i am working, and would love to compare the two builds. Good luck!
Dont forget there is another colour used by the C.I.A birds.
That was the SEA BLUE. There is a picture of a U-2 in this coloue on the front of the WARBIRD TECH Vol 16. How close this is to the actual colour I’m not sure.
DesertRat,
Try this.
TR-1A/U-2R/ER-2 Canopy & Wheel Hub Masks for Testors by BlackMagic™. The stock number is CEBM48197 and it costs $ 5.99. Meteor Productions sells it from their website. (I have no commercial/financial interest in Meteor. other than sending them lots of my money. [:)])
Not thats it helps now, but I remember seeing a U-2 at RAF Fairford some years ago. I took some photo’s but cannot find them now. If I come across them, I’ll scan and post them here.
BIG FAN of the DRAGON LADY / OXCART / BLACKBIRD as can be seen from my membership. Meet a talk with alot of Pilots / engineers etc. USAF / CIA .
Also collect U-2/SR-71/A-12 related patches . I have about 350.
Attached a couple of pictures of my 1/12th scale U-2 ccockpit - It started life as a F-104. Cut out all the instruments / side panels and reassembled then on new panels. Drift sight came from a syringe cover( ex work).
