Skunkworks SR71/U2 Good reference books photos and reading?

[PoseidonSv]

I look for some bigger book with good photos and reference about the SR71 and or U2.

Any suggestions?

[theplasticsurgeon]

For the U2 there's Dragon Lady by Chris Pocock - a right riveting read and plenty of reference photos.

I used the cover for my copy was used to colourmatch the TR-1A pilot's suit.

[Andre]

I used the cover for my copy was used to colourmatch the TR-1A pilot's suit.

Nice work. These are the Special Hobby and Airfix kits respectively, I gather..?

Cheers,

Andre

[theplasticsurgeon]

Nice work. These are the Special Hobby and Airfix kits respectively, I gather

Correct

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[Jay Chladek]

The Aerofax titles on both the SR and U-2 are great references for these Lockheed birds. Publications by James Goodall on the SR-71 are also very good as he was heavily involved with restoration of an A-12 in Minnesota (the plane is now at Langley as part of a CIA museum).

As for SR-71 stories. Osprey Combat Aircraft books 76 and 80 cover SR-71 operations flown in the Far East and over Europe respectively. Col. Richard Graham wrote one excellent SR-71 book detailing a couple missions and collected stories for a second one from several "Habus" to weave an excellent tapestry of Blackbird operations from the early days to the record setting retirement flights and one that covered its brief reactivation in the mid 1990s. I can't recall the name of the first book, but the second one is called "SR-71 Blackbird: Stories, Tales and Legends"

Another fun book to read about the U-2 is "The Black Watch" by Ernest K. Gann. Ernest, being a legend among aviation authors got permission to fly in a U-2 on a training sortie at a time when that didn't normally happen. He wrote a slightly fictionalized story about U-2 ops (i.e. the names were changed to protect the innocent) and waited for DoD approval before publishing. But it never materialized and so he published anyway. It gives a great inside look into U-2 operations from the late 1980s, especially Osan AB and the legend of Oscar the cat and the "mission" to remove Oscar's jewels (and a covert operation involving Oscar's jewels and a pickled Habu).

BTW TPS, you have some very nice looking U-2s there. One doesn't often see THAT many Airfix U-2s built in one collection.

Edited December 18, 2011 by Jay Chladek

[Youngtiger1]

Best books on SR-71 are by Maj. Brian Shul (Ret.). They are expensive but well worth every penny.

My link

Note: I don't know what this my link is but it sure isn't mine. I wish it was :)

Edited December 19, 2011 by Youngtiger1

[Rob de Bie]

For the U2 there's Dragon Lady by Chris Pocock - a right riveting read and plenty of reference photos.

Chris Pocock's definitive U-2 book is "50 Years of the U-2 - The Complete Illustrated History of the Dragon Lady". 440 pages with 450 photos, Amazon link. I'm reading it right now, and it's hard work :-) But for the first time I understand the modifications that you see in photos. Recommended!

Rob

[cvrle]

Q on the Airfix U-2 - does it include NASA decals in-box?

Cheers!

[Andre]

BTW TPS, you have some very nice looking U-2s there. One doesn't often see THAT many Airfix U-2s built in one collection.

Agreed! I just wish I could merely get my hands on some...

Cheers,

Andre

[theplasticsurgeon]

Q on the Airfix U-2 - does it include NASA decals in-box?

Cheers!

Yes - well that box that my models are sat on did!

I built my grey and white U2s in 2007.

I built my Black/Silver U2D in 1987 - that box didn't have NASA decals, so check if you can.

[parche]

Dredging up a slightly old one... any of the refs mentioned have good pictures/drawings of the "Senior Open" nose for the SYERS system? Just was interested in doing something different then an ASARS nose or a plain nose.

Cheers,

Dave