The Last Produced U-2 Dragon Lady Took to Skies After 17 Years of Repairs

The last produced U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft has taken to the skies again after almost seventeen years of repairs caused by a serious accident in 2008.

This was reported by The Aviationist.

Observers recorded the flight of the aircraft with the tail number 80-1099, which had been under repair for a long time after a large-scale fire.

The aircraft was photographed during a test flight from Palmdale Airport in California. Its hull looked much cleaner and fresher than those of the U-2s in service.

The reconstruction of 80-1099 took place at the Plant 42 Palmdale Aircraft Plant pad 2, where the entire U-2 fleet is usually scheduled for maintenance.

The first flight lasted 1-2 hours, after which the aircraft returned to the base. A series of additional test flights are expected to be conducted to confirm readiness for return to service.

The aircraft was delivered in 1989 as a Lockheed TR-1A, and in 1992, along with the entire fleet, it was designated U-2R.

In 1995, the aircraft was upgraded to the U-2S standard. The 80-1099 was the last aircraft in the Dragon Lady line to roll off the assembly line.

During its service, it was based at Fairford Air Force Base in the United Kingdom, Osan Air Force Base in South Korea, and Al Dhafra Air Force Base in the United Arab Emirates.

In 2008, at the Al Dhafra base, the aircraft was severely damaged by a fire that broke out during maintenance.

The fire was caused by the accidental activation of the engine’s emergency start system, which resulted in the release of hydrazine, an extremely toxic and explosive substance.

The system, which uses hydrazine, is used on U-2 and F-16 aircraft to restart the engine in an emergency during flight, which is especially important for single-engine aircraft.

The first attempts at repair by the US Air Force were unsuccessful, and the aircraft was transferred to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia for ground use only. It was only in 2018 that Flight 80-1099 was sent for an in-depth reconstruction at Lockheed Martin’s Palmdale plant, where it underwent a lengthy restoration.