Which of the following statements best describes the effect of a forward CG on elevator pressure?

• A. It increases back elevator pressure
• B. It decreases back elevator pressure
• C. It has no effect
• D. It reverses direction of elevator force

Answer: (A)

A forward CG makes the aircraft more pitch-stable and increases the restoring moment that the tail must provide to hold the nose up or down as needed. To trim or hold a given pitch with the CG forward, the elevator must act more in the direction that produces a nose-up moment, which requires greater force from the control system pushing the elevator toward the back. In other words, the actuators develop more pressure in the back-elevator direction to counteract the nose-down tendency and maintain the desired attitude. That’s why this option is the best description.