Load Factor. Load factor is the ratio of the lifting force produced by the wings to the
actual weight of the airplane and its contents. Load factors are usually expressed in terms of “G.”
The aircraft’s stall speed increases in proportion to the square root of the load factor. For
example, an airplane that has a normal unaccelerated stall speed of 45 knots can be stalled at
90 knots when subjected to a load factor of 4 G’s. The possibility of inadvertently stalling the
airplane by increasing the load factor (i.e., by putting the airplane in a steep turn or spiral) is
much greater than in normal cruise flight. When an airplane stalls at a higher indicated air speed
due to excessive maneuvering loads, it is called an accelerated maneuver stall. A stall entered
from straight and level flight or from an unaccelerated straight climb will not produce additional
load factors. In a constant rate turn, increased load factors will cause an airplane's stall speed to
increase as the angle of bank increases. Excessively steep banks should be avoided because the
airplane will stall at a much higher speed. If the aircraft exceeds maneuvering speed, structural
damage to the aircraft may result before it stalls. If the nose falls during a steep turn, the pilot
might attempt to raise it to the level flight attitude without shallowing the bank. This situation
tightens the turn and can lead to a diving spiral. A feeling of weightlessness will result if a stall
recovery is performed by abruptly pushing the elevator control forward, which will reduce the up
load on the wings. Recoveries from stalls and spins involve a tradeoff between loss of altitude
(and an increase in airspeed) and an increase in load factor in the pullup. However, recovery
from the dive following spin recovery generally causes higher airspeeds and consequently higher
load factors than stall recoveries due to the much lower position of the nose. Significant load
factor increases are sometimes induced during pullup after recovery from a stall or spin. It should
be noted that structural damage can result from the high load factors that could be imposed on
the aircraft by intentional stalls practiced above the airplane’s design maneuvering speed. Large,
aggressive control reversals can also lead to loads that can exceed the structural design limits,
even at speeds below the airplane’s design maneuvering speed.
h. Center of Gravity (CG). The CG location has a direct effect on
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/med ... _Chg_2.pdf
(laughing at the IDRW bit!!!)