What is stall speed (Vs) and what does it depend on?

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Multiple Choice

What is stall speed (Vs) and what does it depend on?

Stall speed is the minimum steady flight speed needed to generate enough lift to balance the airplane’s weight in a specific configuration. It comes from the lift equation L = ½ ρ V² S CL, and at the stall limit you’re at the maximum lift coefficient (CLmax). Since V is tied to the weight you must support, heavier weight requires more lift, so the stall speed rises as weight increases. In a given configuration (same flaps, gear, etc.), this minimum speed reflects how much lift you must produce to stay aloft, and it will also be affected by density (air density changes with altitude) and CLmax set by the configuration. So the best description is that stall speed is the minimum speed to maintain lift in a given configuration, and it increases with weight. The other statements don’t capture that minimum-velocity-for-llift concept, and the idea of a maximum speed or a special “flaps extend” speed isn’t what Vs represents.

Stall speed is the minimum steady flight speed needed to generate enough lift to balance the airplane’s weight in a specific configuration. It comes from the lift equation L = ½ ρ V² S CL, and at the stall limit you’re at the maximum lift coefficient (CLmax). Since V is tied to the weight you must support, heavier weight requires more lift, so the stall speed rises as weight increases. In a given configuration (same flaps, gear, etc.), this minimum speed reflects how much lift you must produce to stay aloft, and it will also be affected by density (air density changes with altitude) and CLmax set by the configuration.

So the best description is that stall speed is the minimum speed to maintain lift in a given configuration, and it increases with weight. The other statements don’t capture that minimum-velocity-for-llift concept, and the idea of a maximum speed or a special “flaps extend” speed isn’t what Vs represents.

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