The book describes the time from 1958 to 1966 that I worked on the U-2 as a young Air Force camera repairman with Strategic Air Command's 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (Light). The 4080th was the first Air Force unit to fly this unique, mysterious, and now-historic airplane operationally as "Project Dragon Lady." It was designed by a small cadre of wizards led by an aeronautical genius known as Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson at Lockheed Aircraft Company's "Skunk Works." The U-2 was originally designed for the Central Intelligence Agency as an espionage aircraft to gather photographic intelligence over the Soviet Union. However, the Air Force found the U-2 to be a perfect airplane for peripheral rather than direct espionage missions over denied areas. The first use of the U-2 with the Air Force's 4080th SRW was for upper air weather sampling and domestic reconnaissance research missions. In 1962 the 4080th used both Air Force and CIA U-2s during the Cuban Missile Crisis and were the first to find Soviet offensive weapons on that island a short ninety miles from the United States. It went on to cover other "hot spots" such as Vietnam, the Middle East, and other highly volatile areas. Today, second- and third-generation U-2s are the primary air-breathing intelligence gathering aircraft since the unfortunate grounding of another of Kelly's fabulous designs, the SR-71 Blackbird. Title: Me and U-2: My Affair with Dragon Lady Author Name: Chapman, Glenn R Location Published: Spectrum Printing: 1999 Binding: softcover Book Condition: Excellent Pages: 282 Categories: Espionage, Intelligence & Spies, Aircraft & Aviation Seller ID: 0733
