<story><title>The slowest SR-71 Blackbird fly-by</title><url>https://theaviationgeekclub.com/story-behind-famed-sr-71-blackbird-super-low-knife-edge-pass/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>FearlessNebula</author><text>Wouldn’t a well trained pilot (like somebody learning on the SR71) be very familiar with what a slow airplane feels like? I’m shocked that a skilled pilot would have allowed that plane to get so dangerously slow.</text></item><item><author>mmaunder</author><text>Stick and Rudder is the best read out there if you want an intuitive pilots understanding of what happened here. It unpacks angle of attack from a pilots perspective rather than using engineer speak. At that speed the control surfaces of the Blackbird would have had very little effect which is incredibly scary as you’re approaching a stall low and slow. They’d need big deflections to keep her straight and it would have felt very mushy.&lt;p&gt;It’s also worth noting that airflow from the engines don’t flow over control surfaces like some light aircraft which means they’d actually have had to gain airspeed before they’d stop mushing around, further delaying recovery. Although I’m guessing that happened pretty damn fast.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>Diesel555</author><text>Some aircraft don&amp;#x27;t buffet much when they get slow, while other aircraft may buffet a lot (slow as a simple term for high angle of attack (AOA), but high AOA can occur from G-forces - back stick pressure - as well).&lt;p&gt;Those aircraft also use a digital flight control system that commands G instead of direct deflection of the surfaces. Therefore the aircraft feels the same at the speeds in which it is capable of delivering the G it is asked to deliver. The same back stick pressure delivers the same G. This is much different than a mechanical system in which you get more G if you are faster.&lt;p&gt;The F-16 is one such aircraft. It feels very similar at 250 knots and 650 knots.&lt;p&gt;Of course an experienced pilot immediately recognizes when the aircraft hits the G-limit due to speed. For example, at 200 knots it can&amp;#x27;t pull 5 Gs. But that only occurs when you are pulling on the stick and not in straight and level flight.&lt;p&gt;The angle of attack of being slow (just being more leaned back in the jet) is more subtle and and doesn&amp;#x27;t usually present itself until you are already really slow. The automatic flaperons and leading edge flaps, which give the wing more camber automatically, are partially a reason for this.&lt;p&gt;Point is, the slowness maybe not be as obvious as you think.</text></comment>
<story><title>The slowest SR-71 Blackbird fly-by</title><url>https://theaviationgeekclub.com/story-behind-famed-sr-71-blackbird-super-low-knife-edge-pass/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>FearlessNebula</author><text>Wouldn’t a well trained pilot (like somebody learning on the SR71) be very familiar with what a slow airplane feels like? I’m shocked that a skilled pilot would have allowed that plane to get so dangerously slow.</text></item><item><author>mmaunder</author><text>Stick and Rudder is the best read out there if you want an intuitive pilots understanding of what happened here. It unpacks angle of attack from a pilots perspective rather than using engineer speak. At that speed the control surfaces of the Blackbird would have had very little effect which is incredibly scary as you’re approaching a stall low and slow. They’d need big deflections to keep her straight and it would have felt very mushy.&lt;p&gt;It’s also worth noting that airflow from the engines don’t flow over control surfaces like some light aircraft which means they’d actually have had to gain airspeed before they’d stop mushing around, further delaying recovery. Although I’m guessing that happened pretty damn fast.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>throwaway0a5e</author><text>You don&amp;#x27;t get a lot of practice at the limit of the flight envelope in an SR71 for the same reasons crane operators don&amp;#x27;t do a ton of heavy picks in high winds.  It&amp;#x27;s not worth the risk to the equipment.</text></comment>