Derek Lyons wrote:

Ben Rich doesn't like supervision much, and tends to exaggerate. If
find it hard to credit that any individual could create 500 pages a
day.


"A make sure that all these are filled out in triplicate..."





Given the number of other design convergences, in aircraft as well as
other fields. One shouldn't be surprised.


Except that the design is quite unlike anything that the Myasishchev
design bureau ever came up with before; and quite a bit like our
original single tail point variant of the B-2:
http://www.aerodesign.de/nurflugel/B-2_design.gif


Given that the site you cite is a drooling fanboy site


Uh, Derek....Alex Panchenko is the leading importer of Russian space and
aeronautic material into the United States; not a "drooling fanboy". He
knows a lot of cosmonauts and big wheels in the Russian aerospace field
on a first-name basis. Scott Lowther knew about this particular
Russian aircraft design; it's not made up.

which features
a repainted Orion
(http://www.ussr-airspace.com/catalog...ucts_id=18 56)


You do realize that was a serious Tupolev project for a Mach six bomber
to counter our suspected "Aurora"/Orient Express TAV, don't you? And
look, your favorite drug addict even has an article about it on
Encyclopedia Astronautica:
http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/tu2000.htm

and a repainted U2
(http://www.ussr-airspace.com/catalog...ucts_id=15 10)



Which is in Yefem Gordon's book on Soviet X-planes- the Beriev S-13
"U-2ski" U-2 clone; and gets discussed he
http://www.netwrx1.com/skunk-works/v09.n046

wrote:

writes:

Chris Pocock's new U-2 history is available from Schiffer Books and Barnes
and Noble online. (Probably will show up in Borders and Barnes and Noble
stores soon too.)

Although Joe has been a great research help on my new book, I didn't ask him
to promote it for me - honest!

Now that he has done so, however, I'll add a few points which may be of
particular interest to this readership:

1) for serial number buffs, we finally figured out the correct production
sequence and solved the mystery of Article 390

2) ten years ago, when I wrote DRAGON LADY, I really couldn't figure out
what the U-2B model really was. Solved that mystery too, this time, with the
help of Jeff Richelson.

3) Thanks to my good friend Yefim Gordon in Moscow, the book also has some
details on the REAL "U-2ski" eg the Beriev S-13.

4) Maximum range and altitude. Would you believe, the USAF still considers
this data sensitive for the early U-2 models, even though they were retired
from operational service over 20 years ago! I took that one to a FOIA appeal
and (predictably) lost (does anyone ever win one of those?). Fortunately, I
had some private informants...

Apart from those mentioned above, there are other readers of this list who
helped me in research. To them, my grateful thanks!

Regards Chris Pocock Information is Useless without Intelligence


You can say that again, Chris! And I hope your impoverished manhood becomes a
millionaire someday soon!
I'd like to thank Derek for being the perfect human equivalent of a Firebee target
drone in his last few postings.
As well as having fun writing replies to his criticisms of my very existence,
he unintentionally put me onto a website that has plenty of cool Tupolev aircraft
and missile designs that I had never seen befo
http://www.sergib.agava.ru/russia/tupolev/
Twas' a worthwhile day indeed. :-)

Pat