In article , Roger Hamlett wrote:

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:NbiFb.618902$Fm2.558090@attbi_s04...
The discussion I believe was about the B-36. It flew above the
absolute ceiling of contemporary MiG fighters. The British begged for
a chance to challenge the 36, but the USAF wisely ignored them.

Why? I take it the British fighters *could* get 'em?
Lets put it this way, There was the case some years ago, of a U2, coming
over the UK, in excess of 82000ft, with his camera doors open. When two
fighters came up on his wingtips, and 'invited' him to come down and
explain, the comment from the pilot afterwards was "we didn't realise you
could get so high". Back in those days, the ceiling of the old
'frightening', was limited primarily by the fact that you burnt so much fuel
getting up there...

Do you have a citation? It seems unlikely that the Lightning could get that
high, and if it could, it seems completely impossible that it could operate
at the same airspeed as the U-2 (that slow, that is).

Thanks,

Mike Beede