Recovery from a stall in any airplane becomes more difficult when its

• A. center of gravity moves forward
• B. center of gravity moves aft
• C. wing is clean
• D. aircraft is light

Answer: (B)

Stall recovery relies on two things: getting the wing back to a lower angle of attack and having enough control effectiveness to do it. When the center of gravity is far aft, the airplane becomes less pitch-stable, so there’s less natural nose-down tendency to break the stall. At the same time, moving the CG toward the tail shortens the distance to the elevator, reducing the elevator’s ability to produce the necessary nose-down moment. Put together, you must overcome both reduced stability and reduced control effectiveness, making stall recovery more difficult. Moving the CG forward increases stability and lengthens the lever arm to the tail, making recovery easier. A wing being clean or the aircraft being light mainly affects stall speed and handling, but not the fundamental ease of stall recovery the same way CG location does.