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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,987
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Quote:
Originally Posted by javadog
Somewhere around 35-40 minutes, most likely.
JR
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A bit less than that to tell the truth.
We used to pick up films from the U-2's based in Taif Saudi Arabia during the war and got to know the pilots pretty well. They would climb at a very nice rate the first minute or so, then settle down after that, but they would easily see 20,000 feet the first minute after takeoff unless they were chock full of fuel.
Problem that they had was descent, where it usually took 1-2 hours to get the bird back down. Their range between MMO (mach overspeed) and stall at higher altitudes is as little as 10-12 knots, so even after you pull the engine back to idle if there was even the slightest bit of thermal activity it would take forever to get the ship down.
I have three very good friends who flew the U-2/TR-1 and or SR-71. It was the pinnacle of their career in the US Air Force.
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2021 Subaru Legacy, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB
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