If the aircraft is loaded too tail heavy, how would it react?

• A. Unstable about the lateral axis
• B. Aileron control will be slow
• C. Elevator control will be sluggish
• D. Unstable about the longitudinal axis

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that where the center of gravity (CG) sits relative to the aircraft’s tail affects stability in pitch. If the aircraft is loaded tail-heavy, the CG moves aft, which reduces longitudinal (pitch) stability. With reduced pitch stability, disturbances tend to cause the nose to move away from the trimmed attitude rather than return to it, making the aircraft unstable about the lateral axis (the axis running wingtip to wingtip that governs pitch).

So the best description is instability about the lateral axis, since that axis relates to pitch behavior. The other options describe roll stability or elevator responsiveness, which aren’t the primary consequence of a tail-heavy condition.