FighterControl

Hi all,

The above U-2 was noted at Mildenhall by my dad carrying this spurious serial in 1975. Does anyone know it’s real identity?

I believe it may have visited multiple times on its way to and from Cyprus.

MTIA
David

globemaster124uk wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 14, 2020 7:23 pm

Hi all,

The above U-2 was noted at Mildenhall by my dad carrying this spurious serial in 1975. Does anyone know it’s real identity?

I believe it may have visited multiple times on its way to and from Cyprus.

MTIA
David

I also saw a "68-10345" at Mildenhall a few days after you're dad but I suspect that an a/c swap had taken place in Cyprus and it wasn't the same airframe. I saw 68-10345 again at Mildenhall when it arrived from the US staging down range on the 27 May'76. This time the Fiscal Year 68- prefix to the tail number had been dropped and it appeared as "10345". A few days later another "10345" staged through going in the opposite direction. They were interesting times.

Hi Graham,

Thanks for the extra info, very interesting they probably used the same serial on multiple aircraft a few days apart. I have managed to find that the aircraft arrived initially from Andrews as well.

Thanks
David

I'd be surprised if anyone has ever published the true identity of that jet on that day, only a couple of people probably ever knew it. Chris Pocock can probably add some clarity but my own primary source research about the FY68 jets found most things to do with their cost and the size of the fleet were classified due to the involvement of another US agency back then. The current USAF factsheet for the U-2 still lists the aircraft's cost as classified as that other agency bought some of the FY68 aircraft still in use today and how it spent its money back then has never been declassified.

According to my file listing and also the publication United States Air Forces Directory - Ian Carroll - MACH III Publishing that batch actually ends at 68-10340. 68-10329/340 and I see no mention of a 10345 anywere

From :- http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1968.html

68-10341/10353 Lockheed U-2R
Cancelled, but deception serials worn by those above at various times.

Are you refering to this episode - https://www.key.aero/article/u-2-makes- ... cy-landing

samlarson wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 17, 2020 3:49 pm

Are you refering to this episode - https://www.key.aero/article/u-2-makes- ... cy-landing

No, as that was last month and it's serial was correct - the thread is about a U-2 with a spurious serial that was seen at Mildenhall in 1975.

Thanks for all the help trying to track this one down, looks like this will remain a query.

David

The late 10333 has been quoted as one of those involved, which doesn't really help!

Rich H