U-2: The veteran spyplane too valuable to replace
I admire anyone who flies the U-2. As the article says, it is extremely easy to get yourself killed. The flight envelope of the U-2 was so narrow that the difference between flow separation from the wing (called a buffeting) and stalling is around 20 to 30 knots. It is, as far as I know, the place from where the term "Coffin Corner" came.<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_(aerodynamics)#/media/File:CoffinCornerU2.png" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_(aerodynamics)#/...</a><p>From NASA's book on the U-2,<p>> The U-2 has always been a difficult airplane to fly, challenging even the best pilots. Lightweight construction and long, thin wings give it terrific soaring ability but also make it hard to land. As the airplane approaches the ground, it floats on a cushion of air—known as ground effect—that causes the U-2 to remain airborne even at idle. The pilot almost has to force it down using spoilers to extinguish any remaining lift. A safe touchdown is further complicated by the unusual landing gear configuration. Near or on the ground, the U-2 appears to be a clumsy beast. The mysterious Dragon Lady seems at ease only when soaring to altitude or cruising through the stratosphere. Even there, danger lurks within the thin margin between Mach buffet and stall speed, the dreaded “coffin corner” of the flight envelope. Technological improvements have eased such problems as high-altitude engine flameouts and balky autopilots, but only a select few can hope to admire Earth’s curvature from more than 12 miles above the surface in what has been dubbed the Near-Space Plane.<p>- <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/unlimited-horizons.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/unlimit...</a><p>It is an extreme craft made for an extreme time.