It's easy to find information about the fastest airplanes, in different categories (e.g. X-15, SR-71, the Concorde etc), but what is the slowest one? Which powered, manned airplane is capable of sustained level flight at lowest velocity?
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asked Jun 27, 2017 at 5:24
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42$\begingroup$ A hovering helicopter is an aircraft! An airship is an aircraft. Are you asking only about fixed-wing powered aircraft? $\endgroup$– RedGrittyBrickCommented Jun 27, 2017 at 8:57
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32$\begingroup$ All VTOL will tie for the win. $\endgroup$– ratchet freakCommented Jun 27, 2017 at 10:41
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4$\begingroup$ I wonder if any of these would take the prize? $\endgroup$– Wayne WernerCommented Jun 27, 2017 at 12:58
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3$\begingroup$ Nobody has mentioned the military jets such as the Harrier which can hover (or even fly backwards) using vectored thrust. I guess this is "cheating" in the context of this question, or possibly not sufficiently sustained before it consumes a full load of fuel. $\endgroup$– nigel222Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 11:26
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5$\begingroup$ Note that an autogyro is kept aloft by lift from its wings, which (unlike the rotor blades of a helicopter) are not powered; a separate propeller provides forward thrust to keep the aircraft moving forward,which causes air to flow past the wings. And an autogyro can fly very slow. But since the wings autorotate, the autogyro is not considered a fixed wing aircraft; it's a footnote to this question rather than an answer. $\endgroup$– David KCommented Jun 28, 2017 at 21:30
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15 Answers
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The Gossamer Albatross is a human-powered plane with a top speed of 29 km/h (18mph).
It was used to cross the English Channel and seems to meet the criteria of the question.
answered Jun 27, 2017 at 13:32
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$\begingroup$ Well... newatlas.com/mow-cycle-human-powered-riding-mower/14491 $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 20:36
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4$\begingroup$ This aircraft is as much powered as... the two bicycles below it ;-) $\endgroup$– minsCommented Jun 28, 2017 at 22:09
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15$\begingroup$ It's very Kiki's delivery service :) $\endgroup$– FattieCommented Jun 29, 2017 at 0:33
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7$\begingroup$ Is there any info about the stall or minimum speed? aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/39327/… suggests it can fly at 7mph, but is there anything more definitive? $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 1:04
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4$\begingroup$ The 7 mph from that answer was for the Gossamer Condor, the predecessor of the Albatross. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 8:06
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The Antonov AN-2 has no stall speed quoted in the operating manual and can fly under full control at about 30 mph. Thus if the headwind is sufficiently large the aircraft will move backwards with respect to the ground.
answered Jun 27, 2017 at 6:55
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3$\begingroup$ DHC-2 Beaver is similar. Normal landing speed is about 45mph, meaning it can be operated significantly slower than that. $\endgroup$– jwentingCommented Jun 27, 2017 at 8:44
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2$\begingroup$ @MartinJames it had been my first filght in my life, and it had been years before commercial flights become affordable for average Eastern Europe citizen. That means, until relative recently, my impression of flight was based on that An-2 flight;) $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 14:13
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33$\begingroup$ Does that mean a 30mph wind will lift the airplane off the ground? $\endgroup$– ChloeCommented Jun 27, 2017 at 22:07
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10$\begingroup$ @Chloe, that is why they strap-down light aircraft if heavy winds are expected: pilotweb.aero/polopoly_fs/1.4881486!/image/image.jpg_gen/… $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 10:50
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if the headwind is sufficiently large the aircraft will move backwards with respect to the groundtechnically, this is true of all aircraft. $\endgroup$– egidCommented Jun 30, 2017 at 6:35
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The Harrier, Yak-38, Yak-141, XV-15, and V-22 are all fixed wing aircraft. All can hover in mid air, controlled. So they are in controlled flight at 0 velocity.
At least the Harrier can even be in controlled flight flying backwards, so with negative velocity. The others may as well, I don't know.
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13$\begingroup$ I should have expected this;) How about "ordinary", non-VTOL aircraft? $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 6:33
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$\begingroup$ Another trick answer would be - small model aircraft. In fact, do those things fly slowly?? Or does it not scale like that? $\endgroup$– FattieCommented Jun 29, 2017 at 0:36
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$\begingroup$ @Fattie the requirement for the airplane to be manned may exclude all but the largest model aircraft, not even considering whether manning them would be safe, legal, feasible, ... $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 12:18
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$\begingroup$ Oh sorry - I missed that requirement. $\endgroup$– FattieCommented Jun 29, 2017 at 13:58
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1$\begingroup$ You could also use the trick of requiring a very small "man" (see Jessica Dubroff). $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 14:31
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now, if you're looking at modern, more commonly used transportation, powered paragliding would probably take the cake.
CC BY 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13110495
Powered paragliders usually fly between 15 and 50 mph (25 and 72 km/h) at altitudes from 'foot-dragging on the water' up to 24,000+ ft (5400 m)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_paragliding
The beginners equipment are often the slowest, and with proper skill, and the right weather, can have a stall speed of zero. Whilst being lifted by a thermal, the only thing that will push the glider forward is the natural tilt. naturally, on a still day, the slowest of equipment will stall at below 10mph.
Disclaimer: this is not an airplane, but it is a fixed wing vehicle, made to primarily move forward to generate lift, akin to most airplanes.
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2$\begingroup$ Further comments regarding the appropriateness of this answer to the question can be found in chat. $\endgroup$– Shog9Commented Jul 26, 2017 at 15:44
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$\begingroup$ "The beginners equipment are often the slowest, and with proper skill, and the right weather, can have a stall speed of zero" is patently wrong. It can have ground speed of zero, but that's true of any wing with sufficiently strong headwinds. But it will never have an air speed of zero (or even infinitesimal) and keep generating lift, which is the only thing referenced when discussing stall speed. $\endgroup$– mathrickCommented Jan 20, 2022 at 20:43
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$\begingroup$ @mathrick actually, doing special maneuvers can allow you to paraglide backwards, even on days with no wind! depending on what OP means by slowest, this may be allowed! $\endgroup$– tuskiomiCommented Jan 20, 2022 at 23:38
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$\begingroup$ When you're flying backwards, that's because the wing is either stalled, or sinking. I dunno how paragliders accomplish that, but in parachutes (specifically, BASE canopies), sustained straight-down / backwards flight is accomplished by having bottom-skin vents which allow the wings to pressurise and effectively change the relative wind direction. In non-vented accuracy canopies, straight down (but not backwards) flight is possible in deep brakes, but even then the airspeed is not zero, it's positive and a high angle of attack. Even if it's sinking, the parachute is still not stationary. $\endgroup$– mathrickCommented Jan 21, 2022 at 20:00
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$\begingroup$ @mathrick Well, here's the thing. From an airspeed prospective, the only thing that paragliders do is sink. I think it may be going over your head how this works. $\endgroup$– tuskiomiCommented Jan 21, 2022 at 20:01
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If you are including historical aircraft, the Wright Flyer averaged 10 fps (approx 6.8 mph or 11 kph) over it's first 120 foot flight in 1903.
Reference: https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/wright-brothers/online/fly/1903/triumph.cfm
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6$\begingroup$ Wind did a lot to make this slow speed possible. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 20:08
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4$\begingroup$ What is "kph" for a Unit? Or did you mean
km/h? $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 13:59 -
5$\begingroup$ @12431234123412341234123 Yes, kph and km/h are the same thing: kilometers per hour. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 16:38
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31$\begingroup$ Did anyone else see "10 fps" and think "10 frames per second"? $\endgroup$– tonysdgCommented Jun 28, 2017 at 19:18
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7$\begingroup$ @GalacticCowboy The thing with kph is that it's not actually used all that much in countries that use kilometers. In fact, it mostly seems to be used by north Americans who try to to convert mph into metric. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 1, 2017 at 17:42
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Gossamer Condor, the first human powered airplane capable of basic maneuvered flight. When it finally won the Kremer prize for a 1 mile figure 8 course it did that course in 7 minutes and 22 seconds.
The later Gossamer Albatross that crossed the English Channel had to be faster.
This assumes that the question criteria was AIRSPEED (not groundspeed) for a fixed-wing, man-carrying aircraft that could take off and land under its own power and maneuver both into and out of the wind (figure 8 maneuver).
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1$\begingroup$ Wow. 7mph! That's slower than most paragliders $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 3:37
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The Ruppert Archaeoptrix Electro (Wikipedia, official website) apparently has a stall speed of 30 km/h (19 mph / 16 kn), and I think that makes it a candidate for the current "slowest" fixed wing aircraft.
It is a relatively new glider that can be foot launched, but there are also wheeled and motorless configurations, and it can also be launched by towing.
For the motorized version:
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3$\begingroup$ Which powered, manned airplane is capable of sustained level flight at lowest velocity? While your answer does not cover "powered" I love the picture. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 14:02
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14$\begingroup$ That plane somehow reminds me of the Flintstones' cars... $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 14:38
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4$\begingroup$ @KorvinStarmast It has in fact a motor, which is not used in this picture. I recommend taking a look at the manufactureres website =) $\endgroup$– flawrCommented Jun 27, 2017 at 15:41
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$\begingroup$ Can you find an image of it configured with a motor? $\endgroup$– user9394Commented Jun 30, 2017 at 8:28
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$\begingroup$ The preview image of the video shows one. It doesn't look that much different, I just has a folding prop sticking out of the back, also e.g. here: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/… $\endgroup$– flawrCommented Jun 30, 2017 at 11:44
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Building it just for very slow speed does not look practical (if you really need this, use helicopter). Some old planes may be slower, but they do not use the newest technologies and may not be built for slow flight anyway. Some patrol, agricultural planes may benefit from slow flying, but we need something more extreme.
I expect such aircraft to be some specific machine that has a huge wing and low weight for other reasons, and should be recently built to benefit from latest technologies.
Solar impulse looks like a good candidate. It has take-off speed of 35 km/h (22 mph) only. Looks like its minimal speed is about 20.67 mph only. Its large wing holds the solar batteries. It has a wingspan larger than Boeing 747 and the weight close to Cessna 172!
(picture from Wikimedia Commons).
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2$\begingroup$ Agricultural planes can fly very slow in general $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 6:56
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9$\begingroup$ Even if not designed to fly slow, some airplane simply has to be the slowest one. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 27, 2017 at 7:00
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7$\begingroup$ @el.pescado The math pedant in me wants to add "assuming there are only finitely many airplanes". ;-) $\endgroup$– CharlesCommented Jun 27, 2017 at 17:20
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7$\begingroup$ @Charles actually, there might be infinitely many airplanes, it's only neccessary that every totally ordered subset has lower bound ;-) $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 4:53
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5$\begingroup$ @ChrisW how many mathematicians does it take to fly an aeroplane? ;-) $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 28, 2017 at 9:12
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You should check out planes with custer wings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custer_CCW-5
It was claimed that the aircraft could fly under control at 11 mph (18 km/h) and that it could take off with a 1,500 lb (680 kg) load at 70% power in 90 ft (28 m).
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$\begingroup$ Welcome. Interesting addition that should be a comment, not an answer. $\endgroup$– minsCommented Jun 28, 2017 at 10:48
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9$\begingroup$ Seems pretty answery to me, @mins. Addresses all the items in the OP: Powered. Fixed wing. Sustained flight at very slow air(?) speed. Has a link for more info, but provides the necessary facts in case Wikipedia ever dies...;) $\endgroup$– FreeManCommented Jun 28, 2017 at 18:41
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$\begingroup$ @FreeMan: The question is about existing airplanes. $\endgroup$– minsCommented Jun 28, 2017 at 18:56
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3$\begingroup$ @mins: The question isn't very explicit about that. It does use the present tense, but seems to leave the door open for interesting answers about past planes as long as they really flew, and weren't just designs on paper. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 1:00
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$\begingroup$ Thank you for your feedback. Even if it's not used anymore in civil or military aviation, the concept of channel wings is still used for modelism or prototypes (Handiwork 181, in 90s). $\endgroup$– FooCommented Jun 30, 2017 at 9:22
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Slepcev Storch
(A 3/4-size replica of the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, a German WW2 reconnaissance aircraft well known for its slow-speed performance)
36 km/h or 40 km/h (19kn/22kn)
Performance according to Wikipedia:
- Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph; 81 kn)
- Cruise speed: 133 km/h (83 mph; 72 kn)
- Stall speed: 40 km/h (25 mph; 22 kn)
- Rate of climb: 6 m/s (1,200 ft/min)
Performance according to ulm.it:
- Maximum speed: 150 km/h
- VNE: 182 km/h
- Stall speed: (flaps out) 36 Km/h
- Climb rate: 9,1 m/s (1800 ft/min)
answered Jun 27, 2017 at 15:21
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$\begingroup$ If the question involves non experimental fixed wing aircraft that were actually in general use, the Storch would have been the one I would think of. $\endgroup$– tj1000Commented Jul 19, 2017 at 1:07
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I was at the Biggen Hill airshow many years ago where not one but two different aircraft flew backwards. One was the AN-2 which was able to nose up into the headwind so far that it actually flew backwards for a short distance down the runway. The other was a Russian super jet, (possibly a Sukhoi 27 or Sukhoi 35?) that did a vertical climb on afterburners that shock the ground then slowed to a stop before falling on its tail while still vertical. It flew tail first towards the ground before lowering the nose.
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1$\begingroup$ @el.pescado Thank you. That was the stunt he flew that left me stunned. As you can imagine, there was no way to hear what the commentator had to say. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 3, 2017 at 13:36
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Alaskan Bush Planes are modified to fly very slowly for short landings:
Features include: "Short runway requirements, typically gained through high aspect ratio wings and high-lift devices such as flaps, slots and slats to improve low speed flight characteristics, allowing shorter ground rolls on landing or takeoff."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_plane
This might be helpful too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_STOL_aircraft
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Here is a video showing that the Gossamer Albatross flew at lowest speed, 7mph (11.2kmph). Very slow. But the save speed will be 10mph (16.1kmph), as mentioned in that video. It lasted 2 hours to cross England strait from England to France.
answered Nov 23, 2018 at 6:51
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According to Review of Human Powered Flight to 1990 (PDF) by Chris Roper, the MIT Chrysalis human-powered aircraft "was in fact the slowest aircraft ever to fly," at 8mph. The document covers other human-powered aircraft mentioned in other answers, including the Gossamer Condor and Albatross, so that suggests that the MIT Chrysalis was, in fact, the slowest fixed-wing manned aircraft to fly successfully.
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It is the shock ultra by savage. Stalls at 18 mph. 2016 savage produced it and it by far out flies all other planes by a mile in the low and slow cathegory
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1$\begingroup$ Fairly sure a stall speed of 18mph doesn't beat the An-2's lack of a stall speed. $\endgroup$– 0xddCommented Sep 25, 2018 at 20:27
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1$\begingroup$ @Jules, this is a myth. First, An-2 does stall; it just remains somewhat controllable and very stable. This mode is called 'parachuting'; An-2 can 'parachute', fully stalled, to the ground and survive. Second, An-2 can sustain flight at 40 km/h (~21 kt) the lowest (more practically 50-70 km/h, depending on the age and configuration). At anything slower it will descend. $\endgroup$– ZeusCommented Sep 26, 2018 at 3:01