According to the operating handbook, the An-2 has no stall speed. [Leonardo Correa Luna]
Key Takeaways:
The minimum flying speed of an ordinary fixed-wing aircraft is primarily determined by its wing loading (weight divided by wing area) and the wing's maximum lift coefficient.
Claims of extremely low or "no" stall speeds, often associated with aircraft like the Antonov An-2, are generally fallacious and contradicted by aerodynamic calculations.
These exaggerated low stall speed reports are typically caused by inaccuracies in airspeed indicators at very low dynamic pressures and a common 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.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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.
