Quote:
Originally Posted by Stealhead
The old U-2 and the modern TR-1s the space between stall speed and maximum speed at operating altitude 70,000 ft is a mere 10 knots and often times they fly at a mere 5 knots above stalling during a mission.
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As I understand it the U-2 had very stable stalling characteristics for just that reason. In a stall it would pretty much automatically pitch over into the proper position and descend properly until speed was built up again. Easy to build into a long, narrow plane with a huge wingspan; not so easy in a huge, heavy airliner.