Lockheed U2/TR-1 Ideas and Inspiration

[GTX_Admin]

So there I was looking at the cover of the Italeri 1/48 USAF Lockheed TR-1A/B:



when I started to wonder what it would look like if those wing pods had props...



Regards,

Greg

[Maverick]

Looks somewhat like an MPA type.  I believe there was a proposal for the U-2R as a maritime type.

Regards,

John

[GTX_Admin]

There were proposals for U-2s in Anti-shipping and Ocean Surveillance roles (including possibly to Australia).

[finsrin]

Love the props concept.  Now fuselage has room for bomb bay and tail turret.  Could patrol off coast at 50,000ft with with a couple anti-missle missles on board.  Targeting ICBM warheads and get SLBMs any time after launch.  Maybe target hostile ships at long range.

Bill

[Stargazer2006]

Allow me to add my modest contribution with these two whiffs, which I think they are relevant to this topic:

1°) The Lockheed CL-1860 Bright Star was an original attempt from Lockheed to produce a naval observation type at a reduced cost using elements of the U-2 spy plane. Though the length of the airframe was unchanged, the fin, rudders and wings were shortened (the latter being hinged for carrier use). 45% of the aircraft were taken directly from the U-2 production lines, and another 25% were modified from U-2 elements, leaving only 30% new, basically the cockpit and dorsal intake. The Navy evaluated the sole prototype in 1973 but tests were not conclusive enough to justify procurement.


2°) The Lockheed YU-12A Twin Star prototype was proposed by Lockheed to the US Air Force as a way to augment the range and autonomy of the original U-2 spyplane. Apparently this was not conclusive and the experiment was halted.

 

[The Big Gimper]

I just got a Special Hobby TR-1A.  :)

I was thinking an offensive minded U-2 with AIM-120 missiles mounted inboard of the super pods or even inside them, a v-tail Ala Dale Brown EB-52 Old Dog

The designation would naturally obscure it's real purpose and capabilities: Fighter Utility Model 6K sub-model U or FU-6KU. 

[Geoff]

The Soviets started to reverse engineer the U-2A. But it never got to completion.

[Daryl J.]

Y'know Greg, that first line drawing of yours does not necessarily need a cockpit.......   

[Rickshaw]

I wonder...how about instead of a massively long monoplane, they'd instead built a biplane with half the length of wing?  U-2s don't go very fast and the higher lift from a biplane would have worked well with them and been stronger and easier to build....

[GTX_Admin]

The Soviets started to reverse engineer the U-2A. But it never got to completion.

Yes, the Beriev S-13

[dy031101]

Hum......

Is it true that most U-2 kits lack details on its cameras? 

Samples from AFV Club kits.