Description

The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed “Dragon Lady”, is an American single-engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated since the 1950s by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides day and night, high-altitude (above 70,000 feet, 21,300 meters), all-weather intelligence gathering.
The U-2 serial number 56-6701 (also designated as 66701) was originally a U-2A, delivered in 1957 and known as “The Saint” for its involvement in the AF thunderstorm research program. It was later converted to U-2C, served with the CIA and USAF recon units, and was eventually retired in 1982. The aircraft is now preserved at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska.