"U-2 Spy Plane With Fictitious NASA Markings" - NASA photo caption

I was searching NASA GRIN for some photos when I discovered this
little bit of Cold War history involving NASA and the U-2 in 1960.

There is a photo of a U-2 sitting on the tarmac at NASA Dryden on
May 6, 1960 (at the time it was just called "Flight Research Center").

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-000112.html

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/MEDIU...000-000112.jpg

The photo caption and description read:

"U-2 Spy Plane With Fictitious NASA Markings"

"After Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union during
a CIA spy flight on May 1. 1960, NASA issued a press release with a
cover story about a U-2 conducting weather research that may have
strayed off course after the pilot reported difficulties with his
oxygen equipment. To bolster the cover-up, a U-2 was quickly painted
in NASA markings, with a fictitious NASA serial number, and put on
display for the news media at the NASA Flight Research Center at
Edwards Air Force Base on May 6, 1960. The U-2 cover story in 1956 was
that it was an NACA plane to conduct high-altitude weather research.
But various observers doubted this story from the beginning. Certainly
the Soviets did not believe it once the aircraft began overflying
their territory. The NASA cover story quickly blew up in the agency's
face when both Gary Powers and aircraft wreckage were displayed by the
Soviet Union, proving that it was a reconnaissance aircraft. This
caused embarrassment for several top NASA officials."


NASA didn't have any U-2's of it's own until quite some time later.

Interesting footnote to Cold War history.


--
Rusty Barton - Antelope, California

(Rusty B) wrote in message . com...
I was searching NASA GRIN for some photos when I discovered this
little bit of Cold War history involving NASA and the U-2 in 1960.

There is a photo of a U-2 sitting on the tarmac at NASA Dryden on
May 6, 1960 (at the time it was just called "Flight Research Center").

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-000112.html

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/MEDIU...000-000112.jpg

The photo caption and description read:

"U-2 Spy Plane With Fictitious NASA Markings"

"After Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union during
a CIA spy flight on May 1. 1960, NASA issued a press release with a
cover story about a U-2 conducting weather research that may have
strayed off course after the pilot reported difficulties with his
oxygen equipment. To bolster the cover-up, a U-2 was quickly painted
in NASA markings, with a fictitious NASA serial number, and put on
display for the news media at the NASA Flight Research Center at
Edwards Air Force Base on May 6, 1960. The U-2 cover story in 1956 was
that it was an NACA plane to conduct high-altitude weather research.
But various observers doubted this story from the beginning. Certainly
the Soviets did not believe it once the aircraft began overflying
their territory. The NASA cover story quickly blew up in the agency's
face when both Gary Powers and aircraft wreckage were displayed by the
Soviet Union, proving that it was a reconnaissance aircraft. This
caused embarrassment for several top NASA officials."


NASA didn't have any U-2's of it's own until quite some time later.

Interesting footnote to Cold War history.

Rusty,....and we all know nasa would never be involved with any
kind of cover-up.

Dick Underwood: "There was a U-2 at Groom Lake in the fifties with a tail
number
NACA-303. I dont know what type of airceaft NACA-301 or 302 were."

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 22:21:33 GMT, "James Oberg"
wrote:

Dick Underwood: "There was a U-2 at Groom Lake in the fifties with a tail
number
NACA-303. I dont know what type of airceaft NACA-301 or 302 were."




According to the web pages listed at bottom, NASA obtained its first
U-2's in 1966 or 1971:

From the website - www.blackbirds.net

"-5 Mar 1966
U-2A #6681 delivered to NASA (now on display at Ames Research Center,
Moffett NAS, CA"


"-29 Mar 1966
U-2A #6682 delivered to NASA (now on display at Robbins AFB, GA"


"-2 Apr 1971
NASA gets approval for the use of U-2 for research"


"-3-4 Jun 1971
NASA receives their first & second U-2s #6681(N708NA) & #6682(N709NA),
they were 2 of the 3 U-2s used for CIA carrier trails"


"-11 May 1981
First flight of TR-1A #1063(N706NA); Lockheed Test Pilot: Art Peterson
(delivered to NASA as ER-2)"


"-10 Jun 1981
ER-2 N706NA(TR-1A #1063) delivered to NASA, Ames Research Center,
Moffet NAS, CA; NASA Pilot: Marty Knutson"


"-10 Jun 1981
ER-2 N706NA(TR-1A #1063) delivered to NASA, Ames Research Center,
Moffet NAS, CA; NASA Pilot: Marty Knutson"


"-Jun 1987
NASA retires last of U-2Cs N708NA(#6681)(now on display at Ames
Research Center, Moffet NAS, CA)"


"-Dec 1988
NASA ER-2 deployed to Stavanger, Norway to look for holes in Ozone
layer over North Pole"


"-17/18 Apr 1989
NASA Pilots: Jerry Hoyt & Ron Williams set "Time to Climb" records for
class in U-2C #6682(NASA: N709NA)"


"-26 Apr 1989
U-2C #6682 flown to Robbins AFB, GA to be put on display by NASA
pilot: Doyle Krumrey"


"-May 1996
NASA ER-2 #706 is to be rengined to "S" configuration, the project
should take 6 months (NO)"


"-8 Nov 1996
NASA ER-2 #706 was returned to Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
after being converted to "S" spec. at the Skunk Works, Palmdale, Ca
(LS)"



http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2tl60.html


http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2tl70.html


http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2tl80.html


http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2tl90.html





--
Rusty Barton - Antelope, California |"Every so often, I like to
| stick my head out the window,
| look up, and smile for the
| satellite picture."-Steven Wright

Dick Underwood was there. The web page researchers weren't.


"Rusty Barton" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 22:21:33 GMT, "James Oberg"
wrote:

Dick Underwood: "There was a U-2 at Groom Lake in the fifties with a tail
number
NACA-303. I dont know what type of airceaft NACA-301 or 302 were."




According to the web pages listed at bottom, NASA obtained its first
U-2's in 1966 or 1971:

From the website - www.blackbirds.net

"-5 Mar 1966
U-2A #6681 delivered to NASA (now on display at Ames Research Center,
Moffett NAS, CA"


"-29 Mar 1966
U-2A #6682 delivered to NASA (now on display at Robbins AFB, GA"


"-2 Apr 1971
NASA gets approval for the use of U-2 for research"


"-3-4 Jun 1971
NASA receives their first & second U-2s #6681(N708NA) & #6682(N709NA),
they were 2 of the 3 U-2s used for CIA carrier trails"


"-11 May 1981
First flight of TR-1A #1063(N706NA); Lockheed Test Pilot: Art Peterson
(delivered to NASA as ER-2)"


"-10 Jun 1981
ER-2 N706NA(TR-1A #1063) delivered to NASA, Ames Research Center,
Moffet NAS, CA; NASA Pilot: Marty Knutson"


"-10 Jun 1981
ER-2 N706NA(TR-1A #1063) delivered to NASA, Ames Research Center,
Moffet NAS, CA; NASA Pilot: Marty Knutson"


"-Jun 1987
NASA retires last of U-2Cs N708NA(#6681)(now on display at Ames
Research Center, Moffet NAS, CA)"


"-Dec 1988
NASA ER-2 deployed to Stavanger, Norway to look for holes in Ozone
layer over North Pole"


"-17/18 Apr 1989
NASA Pilots: Jerry Hoyt & Ron Williams set "Time to Climb" records for
class in U-2C #6682(NASA: N709NA)"


"-26 Apr 1989
U-2C #6682 flown to Robbins AFB, GA to be put on display by NASA
pilot: Doyle Krumrey"


"-May 1996
NASA ER-2 #706 is to be rengined to "S" configuration, the project
should take 6 months (NO)"


"-8 Nov 1996
NASA ER-2 #706 was returned to Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
after being converted to "S" spec. at the Skunk Works, Palmdale, Ca
(LS)"



http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2tl60.html


http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2tl70.html


http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2tl80.html


http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2tl90.html





--
Rusty Barton - Antelope, California |"Every so often, I like to
| stick my head out the window,
| look up, and smile for the
| satellite picture."-Steven
Wright

On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 04:39:53 GMT, "James Oberg"
wrote:

Dick Underwood was there. The web page researchers weren't.


"Rusty Barton" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 22:21:33 GMT, "James Oberg"
wrote:

Dick Underwood: "There was a U-2 at Groom Lake in the fifties with a tail
number
NACA-303. I dont know what type of airceaft NACA-301 or 302 were."



Do you or Dick Underwood know if NACA 303 was actually controlled by
the NACA or was it painted with that logo as a cover story for the CIA
or USAF? Did NACA pilots fly it?






--
Rusty Barton - Antelope, California |"Every so often, I like to
| stick my head out the window,
| look up, and smile for the
| satellite picture."-Steven Wright

(Rusty B) writes:


http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/MEDIU...000-000112.jpg


Note the car on the ramp...
any guesses as to the marque?

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

David Lesher wrote:

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/MEDIU...000-000112.jpg

Note the car on the ramp...
any guesses as to the marque?


Looks Austin-Healey 3000 / MG-A 'ish' to me.

On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 17:15:41 GMT, David Higgins wrote:

David Lesher wrote:

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/MEDIU...000-000112.jpg

Note the car on the ramp...
any guesses as to the marque?

Looks Austin-Healey 3000 / MG-A 'ish' to me.

Got an MGA in my driveway. It isn't one of those.
99.9% sure it's an Austin Healey 100-4. Pretty car.

Dale

Dale wrote:

Got an MGA in my driveway. It isn't one of those.
99.9% sure it's an Austin Healey 100-4. Pretty car.

Didn't remember the 100-4. Now that I've dug up
a picture, I'd have to say I concur with Dale.

http://www.acmefluid.com.au/larry/ -- A-H 100 page