TR-1 U-2S DRAGON LADY RARE CIRCUITS • 99TH EXPEDITIONARY RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON RAF FAIRFORD

Описание: Not only does the U-2 sound amazing but the climb rate is phenomenal on takeoff with its single General Electric F118-101 engine producing 17,000lbs of thrust. This is DRAGON01 performing circuits in a TR-1 at RAF Fairford.

There are 2 types of U-2 Dragon Lady based at RAF Fairford, the U-2S and the TR-1 operated by the 99ERS (99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron). The 99ERS is a squadron of the United States Air Force and assigned to the 9th Operations Group, Air Combat Command, stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California.

The 99th is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, first being organised as the 99th Aero Squadron on 21st of August 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I as a Corps observation squadron.

During World War II the unit served both in the Panama Canal Zone as an anti-submarine unit and in the Pacific Theater of Operations as part of Twentieth Air Force as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber squadron. During the Cold War was part of Strategic Air Command equipped with Boeing B-47 Stratojet medium bombers, and later with the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird strategic reconnaissance aircraft.

RAF Fairford opened late into World War 2 as late as 18th January 1944. First to operate at Fairford were 620 Squadron with the Short Stirling Bomber MK.IV (the Stirling was the first 4 engined bomber of the RAF). 620 were also joined by 190 Squadron who also operated the Stirling. The Stirling was not only a bomber, but could also babe used to perform parachute drops and towing gliders.

Although RAF Fairford opened late during WW2, it took part in missions such as Operation Market Garden and also assisting with parachute drops of troops along with supplies and towing Airspeed Horsa Gliders for the D-Day invasion in Normandy.

From 1950, the base was hosted by the USAF and is still currently a US Air Force base today. Many bases in the UK were closed to become USAF Strategic Air Command (SAC) including Mildenall, Lakenheath, Woodbridge, Brize Norton, Buttonwood, Greenham Common and Fairford. With very heavy bombers such as the B-29 Super Fortress to be operating at Fairford along with hosing B-52s in the future, Fairford's runway was extended to 10,000ft (3,000 m) to assist the long range bomber ops.

In 1965 the Red Arrows made Fairford their home and in 1969 Fairford's long runway was chosen as the British test centre for the Concorde. The Concorde Test Centre was active until 1977.

Fairford has seen many other aircraft in its history such as the KC-135, B-36, B-47 along with more modern B-1 and B-2 bombers. It has been involved in many operations such as the Gulf War with the B-52's, U-2s and B-2 Spirit.

In September 2019, the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron (99th ERS) began a Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady detachment from Beale Air Force Base, California.

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