U-2 “Dragon Lady”

Back in 2017, I posted about a comic book character named The Dragon Lady. Now it turns out there was also a jet named “Dragon Lady” from around the same era. 

The U-2 “Dragon Lady” was designed and built by Lockheed Martin corporation beginning in the mid-1950s. U. S. military leaders wanted to improve their ability to conduct aerial surveillance on enemies such as the Soviet Union and China. Flying at high altitudes, the U-2 was able to capture highly detailed images (within the technical capabilities of the era) of foreign installations throughout the Cold War.

The first model, the U-2A, went into service in 1956. They have proven to be a durable and useful craft. The Dragon Lady is still in service today, with the U-2S having been upgraded in 2012. 

The U-2 was operated under direction of the Central Intelligence Agency, and thus the Dragon Lady was little known to the public. Each surveillance flight was carefully planned, with a cover story in case of discovery. There was some disagreement about this, with civilian aviation experts advising to be honest if the flights were found out. However, the C. I. A. followed its instinct and went ahead using cover stories. 

This practice had serious repercussions when a U-2 got busted. Literally. Check back on Wednesday to learn more.

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Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

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Dragon Encounters 33

I was Christmas shopping and spotted this charming dragon hiding among a variety pack of hot sauces. The brand is called Dragon’s Breath. Mmmm, yummy!

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Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

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Fire & Heist

Fire and Heist, by Sarah Beth Durst, is a YA book featuring people who can assume draconic form — or maybe it’s the reverse. They get up to some mischief while trying to blend among ordinary humans. 

I recently read a review by Teri Polen on her blog, Books and Such. Rather than steal her thunder, I thought I’d link to her post, so here’s the link. Polen is a prolific reviewer, and I highly recommend her blog. Go ahead and check it out!

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Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

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Vouivre

These are a variety of dragon rumored to dwell in the Alps of Switzerland and France. They were long, lean, and loved jewelry more than any other sort of treasure for their hoards. Tales say that they were always adorned with as much gold and gems as they could physically wear. They neither liked nor disliked humans — except for those who tried to steal from them.

The vouivre had a weakness, though: they were blind. As part of their finery, each one wore a splendid tiara of pearls or gold, with a blood-red jewel on its forehead. These jewels were enchanted to allow them to see. The gem’s radiance was so brilliant that the dragons seemed to be wrapped in fire. Whenever they flew by, people thought it was a shooting star coming to earth. 

Vouivre were well aware of their vulnerability. They only went out to bathe once or twice a year, since they must remove their jewelry and that would temporarily blind them. In some areas, it was said the vouivre only bathed on Christmas Eve. In other places, they thought it was on Easter Sunday. The dragons were clever, you see, and they took their baths at a time when most Christian folk would be at mass.

News of such a great treasure got around, all the same. Everyone wanted a chance at the dragon’s hoard. Tales abound of this person or that who found a vouivre’s bathing place and lay in wait to spear them while they were blind. Or they lured the dragon into an oven and killed it that way. (It would have to be quite a big oven!)

Others tried to skip the battle and just make off with the vouivre’s treasure while it was away. Woe to them if the beast returned sooner than expected! These unfortunate souls were never heard from again.

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Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

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The Knight Who Took All Day

Here’s another fun picture book for your young dragon lover. Author/artist James Mayhew published through Chicken House in 2003.

It seems there  is a brave and handsome knight who hopes to catch the eye of a spirited princess. Surely the best way to impress her is to defeat a dragon in single combat. The only problem? There are no dragons left in the kingdom. He sets off to search.

This book has a slightly subversive tone, as you see the knight search right by some dragons hidden in the artwork. Then, when a dragon actually does show up to threaten the kingdom, the knight won’t face it without just the right armor and sword. 

Adult readers will probably guess the outcome from the title. Kids may or may not get the point about action being more important than appearance. I personally found the book clever, although the final page irritated me. The princess randomly marries someone other than the tardy knight; why? Her marriage is irrelevant to the point of the book and perpetuates a stereotype that girls can’t be happy when independent. But at least the dragon lives happily ever after!

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Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

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Just For Fun 38

Here’s a dragon joke, courtesy of my dad. It’s an oldie-but-goodie, as they say.

Q: Where does dragon milk come from?

A: From cows with very short legs!

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Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

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Dragon Encounters 32

As I was flying home from a Thanksgiving visit, I looked up at the ceiling of the airplane and was struck by the shapes I saw.

Doesn’t that straight line look like a backbone? And don’t those curves off the side look like ribs? 

I thought to myself, I am flying inside a dragon! Doesn’t it look like that?

No?

Guess it’s just me, then.

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Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.

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