Tesla and U-2

TESLA MODEL S ELECTRIC CAR HAS REPLACED CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28 AS U-2 CHASE CAR

By Dario Leone
Aug 1 2017
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Tesla Model S has the quickest acceleration of any production car in the world

Taken on Jul. 26, 2017 the cool video in this post features U.S. Air Force (USAF) U-2S spy planes taking off from Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford.

Additionally the footage also shows that the Tesla Model S electric car is the new chase car for the U-2. USAF previously used the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 for this task.

Noteworthy since Lockheed’s U-2S spy planes are famously difficult to launch and land because of their extremely poor field of vision, a chase car that can keep up with them is required on the ground.

According to an article appeared on Jalopnik 4 years ago (when USAF was still using Camaro), the process is pretty simple: “the Air Force buys fast and relatively inexpensive Detroit muscle [cars] and puts a highly trained pilot in the driver’s seat. Those pilots then act as ground-based wingmen for the U-2s in the air, talking them through runway operations.”

Now, as reported by Electrek, electric cars are not a bad match for the job since the task requires quick acceleration and cars only have to go fast for short periods of time.

The U-2 chase car in fact must feature a top speed of 140 mph and the Tesla Model S not only can reach 155 mph (250 km/h), but also has the quickest acceleration of any production car in the world.


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Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

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