What is the negative maximum maneuvering load factor at Va?

What is the negative maximum maneuvering load factor at Va?

• A. -2.2
• B. -1.5
• C. -2.0
• D. -3.0

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that Va is the speed at which full, abrupt control inputs could push the airplane to its specified structural limits without damage. Those limits include a positive load factor and a negative load factor. The negative maximum maneuvering load factor is the most downward g-load the airframe is designed to withstand at Va. For the DA20-C1 at maximum gross weight, the standard structural limits are around +4.4 g and -2.2 g, so the negative limit you can reach safely at Va is -2.2 g. That’s why -2.2 is the correct choice. The other numbers don’t match the DA20-C1’s documented negative limit (they’re either too small or exceed the airframe’s capability).

The key idea is that Va is the speed at which full, abrupt control inputs could push the airplane to its specified structural limits without damage. Those limits include a positive load factor and a negative load factor. The negative maximum maneuvering load factor is the most downward g-load the airframe is designed to withstand at Va. For the DA20-C1 at maximum gross weight, the standard structural limits are around +4.4 g and -2.2 g, so the negative limit you can reach safely at Va is -2.2 g. That’s why -2.2 is the correct choice. The other numbers don’t match the DA20-C1’s documented negative limit (they’re either too small or exceed the airframe’s capability).