what aircraft is this

[Junkers88A1]

behind this F 104 starfighter there is parked another type of aircraft..

does anybody know what aircraft this is hehe

this is a tricky one as its not what it seems to be

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Its a U-2

 

[GrauGeist]

Didn't the U2 have a fairly wide wingspan?

The aircraft appear to be parked closer than the U2's wing would allow.

The photo offers a tough perspective to judge, though.

My guess would be a F2H2 Banshee.

 

[davparlr]

Its a U-2

Yep, no doubt!

 

[Junkers88A1]

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeel..it seems to be a U2.. but its only part of it..its a rather rare bird..its a F-104 with a U2 cockpit..made for testing out the U2 cockpit equipment..so graugeist is correct..the wingspan wouldent fit so close..

 

[Junkers88A1]

but the poor thing has been standing outside for 30+ years so its not doing well at all so close to the seawater.. but still..its a rare bird..should be taken care of.

 

[Milos Sijacki]

F-104 with a U-2 cockpit, interesting.

 

[Micdrow]

Very intersting, thanks for posting it Guttorm!!!

 

[Geedee]

Poor U2 must have been scared hitless being bolted ontoa hooter, probably never been so fast in all its life !

 

[Junkers88A1]

well gary..you said it..laughing my b..t of here hehe
but the funny thing is that if somebody came around and told about this aircraft in 30 years ( and this has been scrapped ) nobody would belive him..
and i guess its the same with a lot of other aircrafts also.... strange midlife crises updates that not many people have seen.. so they dont exsist..
but they do..hehe

but still..its a funny looking F-104..or is it a F-U2-104 ??? who knows.. hehe
i took these pics about 10 years ago on a AF base and i have no idea if that aircraft survived and still exsist

 

[fly boy]

for a minute i thought that was a harrier

 

[pbfoot]

Think your pulling our legs, why would anyone tack a U2 nose on a 104 the logistics would be mind boggling IMHO

now here is a 104 nose tacked onto a Dak
and here is the Calspan Convair from Niagara Falls
mind you I could be wrong

 

[Junkers88A1]

well..they did it and its a fact !!! why..i dont know.. but its there and it has flown and its for real.. but this was done many many years ago..as i said the poor baby has been standing outside for 30+ years and the magnesium in the wings are cracking..salt from the sea is eating the plane up slowely.. inside the cockpit all instruments are removed..just wires hanging everywhere.
I know that the U2 used this base as a landingbase on many missions and why they did that with the F-104 i dont know..all i know is that its there.. here is a picture of the ( Ret.) Lt.col that saw it fly and showed me around the base, and as he said..it was used to test certain equipments..maybe for higs speed reco ? that i did not ask him about..this was 10 years ago

 

[pbfoot]

w2hy only one intake on the port side and 2 on the starboard

 

[Junkers88A1]

i dont know ?? it is what it is and that is something i dident notice
but that is sure one redone F-104..hehe

 

[GrauGeist]

The U2 was built from a F-104, so perhaps that was a test and/or debugging airframe?

 

[Junkers88A1]

that is highly possible. i know they also have a complet U2 up there also and it was a U2 landing base. and during the cold war a lot of strange things was done.. we probably havent heard 1% yet..hehe

 

[Gnomey]

True that, it will all 'come out' eventually though.

This is certainly an interesting marriage of two airframes which surely has to of been for testing purposes as GG says (avionics/instruments?). Still it beats that one that pb has posted, that is an ugly marriage (although know doubt practical).

 

[pbfoot]

The only other user of the U2 was Taiwan . I believe the U2 Staged out of Andoya i I recall . I passed through Badufoss on my way to Sola in 82

 

[Matt308]

Wow somebody should pick that airframe up for posterity.

Why the double air intakes? Perhaps for engine instrumention calibration to minimize cockipit rework. Who knows. I can't imagine they would do it at all.

NOW THAT WOULD MAKE A GREAT MODEL SUBJECT!!!!