If the center of gravity is forward during flight, what is the result?

• A. Tend to descend
• B. Tend to ascend
• C. No change
• D. More stable at high speeds

Answer: (A)

A forward center of gravity creates a nose-down restoring tendency in pitch. If the airplane experiences a small nose-up disturbance, the moments produced by the weight and aerodynamic forces push the nose down, so the aircraft tends to descend unless the pilot holds back on the controls. In level flight, a forward CG means more elevator input is usually required to maintain altitude; without that input, the airplane will settle into a lower attitude and lose altitude. While a forward CG does increase longitudinal stability in general, it does not cause ascent or imply stability only at high speeds.