According to the operating handbook, the An-2 has no stall speed. [Leonardo Correa Luna]
Key Takeaways:
The lowest airspeed for conventional fixed-wing aircraft is primarily determined by two factors: wing loading (weight divided by wing area) and the maximum lift coefficient of the wing.
Claims of extraordinarily low or "no" stall speeds, like those associated with the Antonov An-2, are often inaccurate, primarily due to airspeed indicator errors at very low dynamic pressures and confusion between airspeed and ground speed.
Aircraft utilize high-lift devices such as leading-edge slats and full-span flaps to increase maximum lift coefficient and delay stalls, but their aerodynamic benefits are quantifiable and do not enable flight at extremely low, near-zero airspeeds.
Applying aerodynamic principles, the article calculates the An-2's actual minimum airspeed to be between 42-51 mph, significantly higher than the widely cited, physically implausible 25 mph.
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.
