How does increased aircraft weight affect stall speed?
AStall speed decreases because heavier aircraft are more aerodynamically efficient.
BStall speed increases because the wing must generate more lift, requiring a higher speed to avoid the critical AOA.✓
CWeight has no effect on stall speed: stall is determined solely by angle of attack.
Why →Stall occurs at the critical angle of attack regardless of weight, but the speed at which that critical AOA is reached increases with weight. A heavier aircraft must fly faster to generate sufficient lift, so the critical AOA is reached at a higher airspeed. Stall speed increases as the square root of the weight ratio.
The trap →The no-effect answer is the clever-sounding one: stall is indeed an angle-of-attack event. But the question asks about stall speed, and the speed at which the critical angle is reached rises with weight.
Field note →For a fixed-wing mapping drone at maximum payload, the minimum flying speed is higher than the empty-weight number, and launch and recovery are where that margin matters.
SOURCE → PHAK Chapter 5, Aerodynamics of FlightCHECKED JUL 16ACS IV.A.K2MED