What effects would moving weight out of the aft cargo to the forward cargo have on performance?

What effects would moving weight out of the aft cargo to the forward cargo have on performance?

• A. It increases performance due to reduced tail-down force.
• B. It decreases performance because of the increased tail down force required, generating more drag.
• C. It has no effect on performance.
• D. It improves climb rate but worsens fuel efficiency.

Answer: (B)

Moving weight forward shifts the aircraft’s center of gravity toward the nose. To keep the aircraft trimmed for level flight, the horizontal tail must produce more downward force (tail-down force). That increased tail-down force adds aerodynamic drag, which reduces overall efficiency: climb rate drops and fuel burn for a given airspeed goes up. So the correct effect is a decrease in performance due to more tail-down force and the resulting drag.

Moving weight forward shifts the aircraft’s center of gravity toward the nose. To keep the aircraft trimmed for level flight, the horizontal tail must produce more downward force (tail-down force). That increased tail-down force adds aerodynamic drag, which reduces overall efficiency: climb rate drops and fuel burn for a given airspeed goes up. So the correct effect is a decrease in performance due to more tail-down force and the resulting drag.