According to the operating handbook, the An-2 has no stall speed. [Leonardo Correa Luna]
Key Takeaways:
The lowest airspeed an ordinary fixed-wing airplane can fly (stall speed) is primarily determined by its wing loading (weight divided by wing area) and the wing's maximum lift coefficient.
Anecdotal claims of "no stall speed" or extremely low speeds for aircraft like the Antonov An-2 are often misleading.
These exaggerated low-speed reports are typically due to factors such as limited elevator authority preventing the wing from reaching its full stalling angle, inaccuracies in airspeed indicators at very low dynamic pressures, and confusion between airspeed and ground speed.
While high-lift devices like leading-edge slats and full-span flaps significantly improve low-speed performance by delaying the stall, they do not eliminate the fundamental aerodynamic requirement for a minimum airspeed.
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.
