Stall speed is affected by weight, load factor, and power.

• A. Weight only
• B. Load factor only
• C. Power only
• D. Weight, load factor, and power

Answer: (D)

Stall speed is the minimum airspeed at which the wing can produce enough lift to balance the aircraft’s weight in the current configuration. When the aircraft is heavier, it needs more lift to stay level, so it must fly faster to avoid stalling. In a turn or any maneuver with a bank, the load factor increases, meaning the wings must generate more lift than the weight alone. That additional lift pushes stall speed higher because you reach the lift limit sooner as you slow down.

Power enters the picture through the propeller’s slipstream. As power increases, the air pushed by the propeller flows faster over the wing, boosting lift at a given angle of attack. With that extra lift from the propwash, you can fly a bit slower before you reach the stall, so stall speed is affected by power as well. Put together, weight, load factor, and power all influence the speed at which stall occurs.