U-2R at Alconbury

[VulcanDriver]

Does anyone know how many U-2R aircraft were based at Alconbury during the 1980s?

[phantomfreak]

11 TR-1A's and maybe 1 TR-1B.

[VulcanDriver]

11 TR-1A's and maybe 1 TR-1B.

Wow that many. In the 1980s the UK Govt was denying that there were any TRs based there. A news team was sent to interview a USAF PR officer who supported the UK stance, but then a TR taxied in the distance which of course the news team zoomed in on!

[jetmax]

11 TR-1A's and maybe 1 TR-1B.

Wow that many. In the 1980s the UK Govt was denying that there were any TRs based there. A news team was sent to interview a USAF PR officer who supported the UK stance, but then a TR taxied in the distance which of course the news team zoomed in on!

I thought the story was they renamed the U-2 to TR-1s so they could deny that there were any U-2s in England. Can't remember where I heard that from though but I think it was while I was at RAF Bentwaters.

[VulcanDriver]

I heard that that too. I think that's why the news guys went there on a tip off from a plane spotter!

[John Young]

I used to pass the airfield on a train heading north. I saw the TR-1A's quite regularly.

John

[VulcanDriver]

So much for the UK Govt denying they were there!! Come to think of it I'm sure it was pre-Maggie so that would have been before 1979.

[Firebird]

I can't remember ever hearing that the UK deny that they were there. I remember when it was announced that they would be replacing the RF-4Cs at AR. They couldn't keep it a secret as plane spotters used to go there to see what the 527th were flying against plus it was right next to the mainline railway, just outside Huntingdon Station.

The only thing I do remember was the redesignation saying to the Russians that the missions had changed from Strategic to Tactical.