and we started talking about the ShinMaywa US-2, which is a very cool search-and-rescue airplane and just so very friend shaped
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and someone noted with surprise that this 26 ton (when empty) airframe has a stall speed of only 50 knots which is like. a tiny bit faster than the slowest something like a Sopwith Camel can fly?? anyway the reason (well, one of) it can do this is incredibly cool. see, there's a secret 5th engine on board internally, a 1300hp turboshaft that drives an air compressor. this compressor blows air through ducts on the flaps and tail control surfaces, redirecting air downwards to increase its lift and in line with the rudder and elevators to enhance its controllability

this is just really fucking cool and watching videos of this thing doing low speed landings is just unreal, like watch this:
it just... floats down! this enormous monster of a machine can just drift down like a feather. this is my new hyperfixation aircraft of the day
EDIT: @Iryx has a better explanation of how the compressed air stuff works