SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/drone-aft-cg-less-stable

What happens as an aircraft's center of gravity moves aft?

It becomes less stable and harder to recover after turbulence or maneuvers.

  1. It becomes less stable ✔
  2. It becomes more stable
  3. Nothing, CG only matters on the ground

Why: A tail-heavy aircraft has a harder time righting itself. Too far aft can mean very light controls, violent stalls, or even loss of control.

Huh, didn't know that: The CG isn't a fixed point; it moves whenever you add, shift, or drop a payload.

The dad joke
Why did the belt get arrested? It was holding up a pair of pants.
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Sources

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Ch. 10 Weight and Balance https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/12_phak_ch10.pdf
  2. FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22), Ch. 4 https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf

Test yourself in the game

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That's stuff everyone should know.