Lysander Performance.

[Dan_Brown]

For those unaware, the above mentioned a/c was for STOL operations during WW2. It had the engine to drag it through the air at a good speed and the wings and flaps to fly slow.

I believe this a/c was able to cruise up to 4 times it's stalling speed. This was according to a chap that operated the type then. Giving it some thought that is quite impressive even for modern a/c.

Is anyone able to name any other subsonic a/c able to achieve this wide range in speed variation??

[dook]

The last two military jets that I flew could, or do you mean only pistons.

The quoted stalling speed of the Lysander was 65 mph, and I doubt therefore whether it could achieve 260.

[treadigraph]

212mph was its max speed says Wiki, certainly Shuttleworth's example performs in quite a spritely manner.

[PDR1]

Is anyone able to name any other subsonic a/c able to achieve this wide range in speed variation??

Harrier and Sea Harrier spring to mind, but that's cheating.

The Airspeed Fleet Shadower achieved 3.4 cruise:stall, 3.82:1 max to stall - that's close...

PDR

[DaveReidUK]

Flight quotes the Lysander I as having a speed range of 55 mph to 229 mph, so the 4:1 claim would appear to be justified.

[Blossy]

How about the Scottish Aviation Pioneer? The 'single pin'.

[KING6024]

I've just looked the Lysander 1 up in Thetfords A/c of the RAF and it says 219mph at 10.000 ft.Should it read MPH or Kts ??

Colin.

[dook]

Miles per hour.

Speeds were, and still are, often quoted as TAS not IAS.

[Dan_Brown]

I don't think any heavy a/c are capable of 4.0 or near it. Not at "normal cruise". Anyone?

[sycamore]

SA Pioneer stall speed 36 mph; cruise 141mph; max 162mph.....

[PDR1]

What about the Helio Courier?

As far as I can gather it has a stall speed below 30mph and a max cruise of 167mph. That would be a ratio of 5.6:1

PDR

[Dan_Brown]

Indeed. Impressive.

[feroxeng]

As an ex-employee of the great Shorts company in the 1960s it was always said that the 1950s Seamew had the biggest speed range of anything going, with a stall speed in the 30s and some silly speed achievable in a terminal dive. I don't have pilots' notes or an ODM to verify numbers, but will check in due course.
But if cruise speed is the reference point isn't this just a function of the engine size, wouldn't Vs/Vd be more relevant?
The Seamew had a big barn door of a wing for 'loitering' until it was discovered that helicopters could do it better, but it was an attack aircraft so launching weapons in a dive was also part of its remit.
Feroxeng

[chevvron]

Flight Design CT: Stall speed 40 mph, max speed 143 mph comes pretty close

[Vzlet]

The Shark UL:

Max. cruising speed 300 km/h
Optimum cruising speed 250-270 km/h
Stall speed, clean 80 km/h
Stall speed, full flaps 64 km/h

https://www.shark.aero/images/shark_ul/shark_ul_01.jpg
https://www.shark.aero/shark-ul

[Vzlet]

The JMB VL-3:
Stall speed with flaps - 53 km/h
Max cruise - 305 km/h

https://www.jmbaircraft.com/aircraft

[Blossy]

Feroxeng: On one of my Ulster tours I managed to visit Shorts to enquire whether they had any Pilots Notes for the Seamew. A kindly soul took me on a lengthy trek of the factory but it transpired that the company had recently had a clear out of the paperwork of all un-supported types. I asked the appropriate department specifically about the Seamew but nobody could remember if there were company notes for it or not. One person did say that he thought everything had been put on micro fiche before the originals were burned but said the company responsible for the micro fiche had yet to supply them. Naturally I pleaded to be notified if and when they were available but sadly never heard.
The Pioneer PN ( 1st edition November 1953) gives the following speeds all in knots.
Maximum for
Diving 160 (not shown as VNE for some reason)
Flaps lowered 60
T/O must have been a joy. 'At 20 kts the aircraft becomes airborne and can be climbed steeply at 35 kts'.

[Self loading bear]

Gossamer albatross
take off speed 7 mph
max speed 29 mph
ratio 4.14
(stall speed unknown?)

[Dan_Brown]

Haha nice one.😁😁 👍

[topgas]

Fieseler Storch (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_156#Specifications_(Fi_156)) not far off - 175 km/h (94 kt), stall 46 km/h (25 kt), about 3.8 to 1.
The Fieseler Fi 97 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_97) was even better - 245 km/h, 58 km/h, 4.2 to 1
Auster V (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylorcraft_Auster) just makes it, 113 kt, 28 kt, 4.04:1

[treadigraph]

The P-51D "Voodoo" might be an interesting contender, stall speed of what, 90mph? Average speed during piston speed record a couple of years back something like 531+mph - approaching 6x?

[Rory57]

​​​​​​​Antonov An2? Wiki gives 30 mph stall / 160mph max.