ABSTRACT of U2.doc

Using the web to teach aeronautics.


What does a very high altitude jet look like and what could it be used for?

This question is at the heart of an aeronautics lesson for 5th through 8th grade science students. In this lesson, students have a chance to consider some of the aeronautical problems encountered by trying to fly a jet twice as high as a typical passenger jet. The Boeing U2 is a famous high altitude reconnaissance jet used by the US in 1960 to fly spy missions over the former Soviet Union. Francis Gary Powers piloted such a plane and was shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960. Information about this international incident is found in an excellent web site from the Eisenhower Archive. An open-ended investigation is left to students.

The link to the lesson goes here!