Which statement best describes Center of Gravity (CG) and loading effects?

Which statement best describes Center of Gravity (CG) and loading effects?

• A. CG is the average location of an aircraft’s weight.
• B. CG is the center of gravity of the crew.
• C. CG is the average location of an aircraft’s weight; loading forward or aft shifts CG. Forward CG increases stability and stall resistance but reduces elevator authority; aft CG improves cruise performance but reduces stability and increases stall risk and pitch sensitivity.
• D. CG is the weight of the cargo group.

Answer: (C)

Center of Gravity is the balance point along the aircraft’s longitudinal axis—the average location of all weight. When you load the airplane, you move this balance point forward or aft, and that shift changes how the airplane behaves in pitch. Loading forward moves the CG toward the nose. This makes the aircraft more statically stable in pitch: if the nose tends to drop or a disturbance pushes the nose down, the airplane tends to return toward its trimmed attitude. It also means the tail must generate more downforce to balance the nose-down moment, so the elevator must work harder to raise the nose, reducing available elevator authority for large pitch changes. Additionally, a forward CG tends to resist entering or deepening a stall, contributing to greater stall resistance. Loading aft moves the CG toward the tail. This reduces longitudinal stability and increases pitch sensitivity, making the aircraft more responsive to control inputs. It can improve cruise performance slightly (less trim drag), but it raises the risk of a stall and makes pitch behavior harder to predict or recover from if a stall begins. So, the correct description is that the CG is the average weight location, and shifting it forward or aft changes stability and control characteristics in these ways.

Center of Gravity is the balance point along the aircraft’s longitudinal axis—the average location of all weight. When you load the airplane, you move this balance point forward or aft, and that shift changes how the airplane behaves in pitch.

Loading forward moves the CG toward the nose. This makes the aircraft more statically stable in pitch: if the nose tends to drop or a disturbance pushes the nose down, the airplane tends to return toward its trimmed attitude. It also means the tail must generate more downforce to balance the nose-down moment, so the elevator must work harder to raise the nose, reducing available elevator authority for large pitch changes. Additionally, a forward CG tends to resist entering or deepening a stall, contributing to greater stall resistance.

Loading aft moves the CG toward the tail. This reduces longitudinal stability and increases pitch sensitivity, making the aircraft more responsive to control inputs. It can improve cruise performance slightly (less trim drag), but it raises the risk of a stall and makes pitch behavior harder to predict or recover from if a stall begins.

So, the correct description is that the CG is the average weight location, and shifting it forward or aft changes stability and control characteristics in these ways.