Archive

Disassembling a U-2 Spy Plane

AMAZING

Timelapse details maintenance program that allows for decades of use.

videos/2015/12/04/disassembling-a-u-2-spy-plane/151204-sayed-spy-plane_i6q2w6

Nicknamed Dragon Lady, Lockheed Martin's U-2 is a high altitude military aircraft focused on intelligence gathering. First introduced in 1955, the U-2 has been in service for over five decades thanks to the rigorous maintenance routine they undergo: After 4,700 flight hours the planes are completely disassembled in order to individually inspect their more than 40,000 rivets and 1,800 individual parts. After any needed repairs are completed, the U-2 is put back together gain and given a new coat of paint, good as new.

Watch this classic plane broken down and rebuilt in the stunning timelapse above.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.