Which term describes the degree to which an aircraft resists disturbances and returns to steady flight?

• A. Trim
• B. Control response
• C. Stability
• D. Drag reduction.

Answer: (C)

Stability describes how an aircraft resists disturbances and returns to steady flight. When disturbed, an aircraft with positive stability experiences restoring aerodynamic forces that push it back toward its original attitude, and dynamic stability refers to how quickly and smoothly that return happens over time. The stronger the restoring forces and damping, the higher the stability. Trim is about setting control surface positions to hold level flight without continuous input, not about resisting disturbances. Control response is how the aircraft and surfaces react to inputs or disturbances, and drag reduction concerns reducing drag, not stability. So the best term for the described behavior is stability.