CENTER OF GRAVITY AND STABILITY

The total mass of the aircraft can be said to act through one point, called the Centre of Gravity (C.G.). The location of the C.G. determines the aircraft's stability and maneuverability. Beginning from the middle of the fuselage:

• As the C.G. shifts towards the aircraft's nose, stability increases while maneuverability decreases.
• As the C.G. moves towards the tail, maneuverability improves, but stability diminishes.

A more stable aircraft is less controllable and vice versa. Excessive stability leads to higher control stick forces, making it more challenging for the pilot to manage. On the other hand, excessive maneuverability results in instability and difficulty in controlling the aircraft.

The effects of a forward C.G. position are the following:

1. Decreases the Rate of Climb and the Climb gradient.
2. Increases TORR, TODR, ASDR, thus MTOM must be decreased.
3. The stick forces required will be more.
4. Rotation will be more difficult.
5. Stall speed increases, thus ceiling decreases.
6. Makes flare more difficult during landing, thus increasing LDR and decreasing MLM.
7. Due to the increased fuel consumption, the fuel mileage (nautical miles covered per kg of fuel mass) decrease.