Stall Speeds

Twenty-four stall speeds in one table, arranged by flap setting, bank angle and centre of gravity. The surprise is how little the centre of gravity matters here: four of the six rows are identical between the forward and rearward limits.

At a glance

• Conditions2550 lb, power off
• Flaps up, 0° bank48 KIAS / 53 KCAS
• Flaps 10°, 0° bank, rearward C.G.42 KIAS / 50 KCAS
• Flaps 30°, 0° bank40 KIAS / 48 KCAS
• Flaps up, 60° bank68 KIAS / 75 KCAS
• Flaps 30°, 60° bank57 KIAS / 68 KCAS
• Altitude loss in a stall recoveryas much as 230 feet

At the most rearward centre of gravity

Flaps up, by angle of bank

• 0° — 48 KIAS / 53 KCAS

• 30° — 52 / 57

• 45° — 57 / 63

• 60° — 68 / 75

Flaps 10°, by angle of bank

• 0° — 42 / 50

• 30° — 45 / 54

• 45° — 50 / 59

• 60° — 59 / 71

Flaps 30°, by angle of bank

• 0° — 40 / 48

• 30° — 43 / 52

• 45° — 48 / 57

• 60° — 57 / 68

At the most forward centre of gravity

The flaps up row is identical to the rearward one: 48/53, 52/57, 57/63, 68/75. So is the flaps 30° row: 40/48, 43/52, 48/57, 57/68.

Flaps 10°, most forward C.G., by angle of bank

• 0° — 43 / 51

• 30° — 46 / 55

• 45° — 51 / 61

• 60° — 61 / 72

That row is one knot higher at every bank angle than the same row at the most rearward centre of gravity — the only place in the whole table where the loading makes a difference, and it makes a difference of one knot.

Reading the pattern

Two trends run through the table and they are worth internalising as trends rather than as twenty-four numbers. Flap lowers the stall speed: eight knots between flaps up and 30 degrees at wings level. Bank raises it: twenty knots between level and 60 degrees of bank with the flaps up.

Bank costs more than flap saves. That is the arithmetic behind every stall-spin accident in a steep turn low down.

Two notes

NOTE — A stall recovery can cost as much as 230 feet of altitude.

NOTE — The KIAS values in the table are approximate.

Check yourself

• Under what weight and power condition is the whole table quoted?

• Give the wings-level stall speed in KIAS for each of the three flap settings.

• How much does 60° of bank add to the flaps up stall speed?

• Which single row differs between the forward and rearward centre of gravity, and by how much?

• How much altitude may a stall recovery consume?

Study aid — always fly your aircraft's current AFM/POH.