U-2 Spy Plane Took Its First Flight 64 Years Ago

Business Insider: 64 years ago, the vaunted U-2 spy plane took its first flight, and it happened by accident

* The U-2 spy plane lifted off for the first time on August 1, 1955.
* That first flight didn't go as planned, bu the Dragon Lady is still flying today.

On August 1, 1955, a prototype of the U-2 spy plane sprinted down a runway at Groom Lake in Nevada, and its massive wings quickly lifted it into the sky.

That wasn't exactly how it was supposed to go. It was meant to be a high-speed taxi test, but the prototype's highly efficient wings pulled it into the air unexpectedly. The plane's first official flight happened three days later.

Lockheed Martin footage captured the moment the venerable Dragon Lady started its 64-year career.

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WNU Editor: And this plane is still flying.