Upon landing (and without the pogos) when speed decreased, one of the long wings would drop to the ground protected by a small skid on the wing tips. The U2 had only two centerline landing gear to save weight … the out-rigged pogos would fall off the plane after takeoff. The aircraft could takeoff in a very short distance at 70 mph … the combo of oversized wings and powerful jet engine allowed it to climb near vertical once airborne. The U2 single engine jet design incorporated very long glider-like wings giving it a huge weight-to-lift ratio allowing climbs to 70,000 feet so as to avoid ground air defenses. Here Jack captured a Lockheed U2 high altitude recon aircraft taxiing with small outboard wing training wheels (pogos) at Utapao Airbase, Thailand – 1971. This attached photo is compliments of Jack Braine, one of many terrific USAF C-130 crew chiefs out of CCK Taiwan who spent many tours at Vietnam and Thailand airbases keeping the Herky’s humming and looking good. On one landing, the KC-130 touched approximately 150' from the fantail, stopped rolling after 270', and then took off again from that position. Trials began on 30 October 1963, with -9798 completing 29 touch-and-goes, 21 landings (all unarrested) and 21 takeoffs (unassisted), at weights from 85,000lbs to 121,000lbs. A USMC KC-130F (BuNo 149798) was tapped for the demonstration, with the only modifications being an improved anti-skid braking system and removal of the underwing refueling pods. A line was painted on the deck of the carrier for the Hercules crew to follow to maintain clearance from the island. In the late 1950s and 1960s, the idea of Carrier Onboard Deliver was born, with the C-1 Trader flying needed material to the Navy's carriers, The Trader, being piston engined, had limited range and capacity however, and the USN sought a Super COD to carry heavy loads or to reach carriers far from shore. Transporting cargo onto a carrier in the middle of the ocean is difficult even today.
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