Takeoff would be easy, for exactly the same reason that landing would be extra difficult: The thing had the glide ratio of a sailplane. It loves to take off, but it HATES to land. It's actually an advantage to land on a carrier when you're in a plane that "glides" like an anvil. When you say "land" to a F-18, it LANDS. Now. A U2 probably "floats" forever.
This was two different videos. The first video was the last of the carrier trials that was done in the late 60s when the U-2R model came out. That's why on the U-2R and TR-1 models the wing tips folded to put the U-2 in the hangar deck of the ship. U-2R flew off the America, U-2C converted to G was Kitty Hawk and earlier than that was the USS Ranger. Flew 3 different carrier trials.
Takeoff would be easy, for exactly the same reason that landing would be extra difficult: The thing had the glide ratio of a sailplane. It loves to take off, but it HATES to land. It's actually an advantage to land on a carrier when you're in a plane that "glides" like an anvil. When you say "land" to a F-18, it LANDS. Now. A U2 probably "floats" forever.
naughtygirl3797 2 weeks ago
This was two different videos. The first video was the last of the carrier trials that was done in the late 60s when the U-2R model came out. That's why on the U-2R and TR-1 models the wing tips folded to put the U-2 in the hangar deck of the ship. U-2R flew off the America, U-2C converted to G was Kitty Hawk and earlier than that was the USS Ranger. Flew 3 different carrier trials.
hogsandhercs 1 year ago
taking off on a carrier in that thing would scare the hell out of me, it looks so fragile!
SQIRT25 1 year ago
@SQIRT25 Did it use catapults?
victorrain 10 months ago
The U-2 landing on and taking off from a carrier? I've never heard of such a thing until now!
It makes sense, though, as it's very light, and has a pretty high power-to-weight ratio.
Actually CARRYING one on an aircraft carrier would be a whole different can of matter, though...
BlacktailFA 3 years ago 2