Manufacturer: Lockheed

Model: unknown

Name: Twin Star

Type: High altitude observation platform

Date: 1964

Status: Operational service

Country: United States

Service: U.S. Air Force

Designation: YU-12A

The Lockheed YU-12A Twin Star was an attempt to use the proven U-2 frame and double the autonomy and range. Although it flew and operated very satisfactorily, the aircraft's wingspan proved a little too long for easy taxiing and storage, and the fuel capacity proved insufficient. Consequently the project came to a halt after two years of testing.

The Twin Star was created from a photo of the Lockheed U-2 (see below right). Double fuselage re-creations are not always equally successful, but the Twin Star comes out as a truly harmonious design.

• Maybe another reason was "without a double missile, such a U-2 would survive a shot", but tests proved this miscalculated... hehe (Tophe2)

Or maybe what actually crashed over China WAS a U-12. They only displayed the one fuselage that survived the crash...