Question

As altitude increases, what happens to the stalling AOA and true stall speed?

Options:
(a) AOA does not change; True stall speed will increase as at the same IAS, TAS increases
(b) AOA decreases; True stall speed remains constant
(c) AOA increases; True stall speed will decrease
(d) AOA does not change; True stall speed remains constant

Answer 1

The angle of attack at which stall occurs remains the same with increasing altitude, but the true airspeed at which stall happens increases because the air is less dense at higher altitudes.

Step-by-step explanation:

As altitude increases, the stalling angle of attack (AOA) does not change while the true airspeed at which a stall occurs will increase. This is because as altitude increases, air density decreases, leading to a lower indicated airspeed for a given true airspeed. However, the actual aerodynamic conditions that cause a stall, which are related to the AOA and lift coefficient, remain the same regardless of altitude. Thus, the correct answer is (a) AOA does not change; True stall speed will increase as at the same Indicated Airspeed (IAS), True Airspeed (TAS) increases due to lower air density.