How do weight distribution and center of gravity affect stall speed and stability?

• A. A forward CG decreases stability and lowers stall speed.
• B. A forward CG increases stability and lowers stall speed.
• C. A forward CG increases stability and stall speed; rearward CG reduces stability and can increase stall tendency.
• D. CG has no effect on stall speed or stability.

Answer: (C)

Weight distribution and CG location determine how the airplane responds in pitch and how close the wing is to stalling at a given airspeed. A forward CG puts more weight ahead of the wing’s center of lift, which creates a stronger restoring moment that stabilizes the airplane in flight. That added stability means you’ll need more elevator effort to hold a constant level attitude, and you must fly at a higher angle of attack to maintain level flight, which raises the stall speed. A rearward CG, by contrast, reduces that restoring moment, making the airplane less stable and more prone to pitching up or down; the stall tendency can be higher because the wing can reach the critical angle of attack more readily and with less warning. So, forward CG increases stability and stall speed, while a backward CG reduces stability and can increase stall tendency.