U2 ARRIVES FOR TASK

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31085, 14 June 1966, Page 1

U2 ARRIVES FOR TASK

The high - altitude reconnaissance U2 aircraft arrived at Christchurch Airport yesterday afternoon and within minutes its pilot was telling reporters the aircraft had no connexion with the forthcoming French nuclear test in the Pacific.

“The plane is not instrumented for that type of work,” said Major J. J. King, of the flight test centre at Edwards Air Force Base, California, who is commander of the “Hicat” project. Major King said also that the U2 was not equipped for high - altitude photography. “We have a small 35mm. camera with which to take pictures of various cloud formations, but that’s all.” He said that the “Hicat” programme in Australia and New Zealand was not secret. “The only thing classified is the U2 itself and its performance details.” The U2 would be flown from Christchurch for four to six

hours a day, six days a week, he said. "Our base of operations will be a radius of 1000 nautical miles around Christchurch. But we are not going below the 60 degree parallel.” The U2 is specially instrumented with turbulence data recording devices and a red and White super-sensitive gust probe sticks out from its nose.

The U2 is searching out high-altitude clear air turbulence (CAT). This occurs when smooth air suddenly erupts into turbulence. The phenomena has been experienced at all altitudes and is dangerous because it cannot be predicted accurately. Major King said the programme was concerned with many types of air such as tropical, maritime and polar. “That’s why we are here during your winter.” The entire turbulence programme will take 17 months to complete. So far only two months’ work has been done. Major King said the cost of the “Hicat” project alone was Ijm dollars. The money was provided by the Government and the Lockheed company had been awarded the contract.

Major King said with the team were four Lockheed engineers whose job was to ensure that all the instrumentation on board the U2 was functioning properly at all times.

A crowd of several hundred lined the airport roof waiting for the U2 and its attendant aircraft the 857 Stratojet and the Boeing military transport. The 857 Stratojet landed first. This plane is used as an airborne command post and as a liaison between the U2 and mainland airports. It also keeps track of the U2 in case of rescue needs.

The Boeing transport and the U2 came in low over the field, side by side. In flight, the U2 has the grace of a glider but on the ground it does not look sleek. As the U2 touched down on the main runway a small braking parachute was released. Once the plane lost speed one of the wings leaned over to slide along the runway. At the end of the wings are small skid pads to protect them. The U2 has 14in wheels under the fuselage only. Tiny “pogo” wheels are let down to support the wings during taxi-ing. Because one of them did not seem to be working three men sat on one wing of the U2 to keep the wings balanced during its short run to the terminal building.

The aircraft is well suited to the task of reaching and maintaining, for long periods, the necessary test altitudes between 40,000 ft and 70,000 ft. The purpose of the tests is the same at each location—to gather structural load data

for use in the design of future aircraft to withstand gust loads found in clear air turbulence.

Major King stepped from the U2 looking hot and tired and wearing a partial pressure suit. He said the flight from Fiji to Christchurch had been at an altitude of 55,000 ft. There had been some turbulence at one stage. Major King said that in July the team would move to Laverton Field near Melbourne. Later tests would be made at Okinawa, and in the Bay of Bengal, Alaska, Europe and the Mediterranean area.