What is the stall speed in the cruise configuration?

What is the stall speed in the cruise configuration?

• A. 50 KIAS
• B. 44 KIAS
• C. 60 KIAS
• D. 40 KIAS

Answer: (B)

Stall speed is the minimum airspeed at which the wing can produce enough lift to balance the airplane’s weight when the wing is at its critical angle of attack. It depends on weight and on how the airplane is configured. In cruise configuration the airplane is clean (flaps and gear up), so the wing generates lift more slowly as you angle the nose up. To reach the required lift before reaching the critical angle of attack, you must fly at a higher speed than you would with flaps extended or gear down. For the Diamond DA20-C1 at typical gross weight, the clean-stall speed is in the low-to-mid forties in knots indicated. So the option that places you in that general speed range is the correct one for cruise configuration. Speeds well above that would be beyond the clean-stall envelope, while speeds significantly lower would indicate a different configuration or an unusually light condition.

Stall speed is the minimum airspeed at which the wing can produce enough lift to balance the airplane’s weight when the wing is at its critical angle of attack. It depends on weight and on how the airplane is configured. In cruise configuration the airplane is clean (flaps and gear up), so the wing generates lift more slowly as you angle the nose up. To reach the required lift before reaching the critical angle of attack, you must fly at a higher speed than you would with flaps extended or gear down.

For the Diamond DA20-C1 at typical gross weight, the clean-stall speed is in the low-to-mid forties in knots indicated. So the option that places you in that general speed range is the correct one for cruise configuration. Speeds well above that would be beyond the clean-stall envelope, while speeds significantly lower would indicate a different configuration or an unusually light condition.