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When the U-2 "Dragon Lady" debuted in 1957 it was an astonishing piece of technological achievement.
Able to fly reconnaissance from more than 13-miles above the earth, gather data through all weather conditions any time of day or night, while staying beyond the reach of Soviet military — it was an unbelievable achievement.
The U-2 was so advanced for its time that it's still in service today, performing missions under the Air Force's 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB in California, filling the gaps where the most advanced long range drones fall short.
With the Cold War raging, the military desperately wanted a powerful reconnaissance aircraft
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Lockheed Skunk Works, the top-secret wing of the aircraft manufacturer, tried to jump into the competition
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The military didn't want Lockheed's design, a stripped down version of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter with glider-like long wings
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See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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