According to the operating handbook, the An-2 has no stall speed. [Leonardo Correa Luna]
Key Takeaways:
The lowest airspeed for ordinary fixed-wing aircraft is determined by wing loading (weight divided by wing area) and the wing's maximum lift coefficient.
Claims of extremely low or "no stall speeds" for certain aircraft, such as the Antonov An-2, are often fallacious and contrary to aerodynamic principles.
These misperceptions about stall speeds are typically due to factors like airspeed indicator inaccuracies at low dynamic pressures, the effects of high-lift devices, limited elevator authority, and confusion between airspeed and ground speed.
The lowest airspeed at which an ordinary fixed-wing airplane can fly is almost entirely determined by two numbers.
One of them is the wing loading, that is, the airplane’s weight divided by its wing area. The other is the maximum lift coefficient of the wing, which coincides with its stalling angle of attack.
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Peter Garrison taught himself to use a slide rule and tin snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan. He began contributing to FLYING in 1968, and he continues to share his columns, ""Technicalities"" and ""Aftermath,"" with FLYING readers.
