Practice test
3D Labs

Angle of attack and stalls in 3D

Raise the angle of attack and watch the airflow, the lift curve and the moment the wing stalls.

Try it: slide the angle of attack up slowly. Watch lift grow on the chart, then watch the airflow tear away from the top of the wing when you pass the critical angle.
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Ideal-flow model · stall wake illustrated

Lift coefficient (CL): 0.56

Lift rises with angle of attack until the critical angle (about 16° here), then drops sharply. Flaps add lift at a lower angle but stall a bit sooner.

What a stall really is

A wing stalls when it exceeds its critical angle of attack, the angle between the wing's chord line and the relative wind. Past that angle the air can no longer follow the curved upper surface. It separates, turbulence forms over the top, and lift drops sharply.

  • A stall can happen at any airspeed, any attitude and any power setting. Published stall speeds only apply at a given weight in unaccelerated flight.
  • Stall speed goes up with weight and load factor. In a 60° level turn, the load factor is 2 G and stall speed is about 41% higher.
  • The recovery is always the same first step: reduce the angle of attack. Then level the wings and add power as needed.
  • Keep the ball centered near the stall. A stall with yaw (uncoordinated) can become a spin.
This model is a teaching illustration, not an aerodynamic simulation. Real critical angles and lift values depend on the airfoil, flaps and wing design. Your airplane's POH and your instructor come first.

Sources: PHAK Chapter 5 (Aerodynamics of Flight); Airplane Flying Handbook Chapter 5 (slow flight, stalls and spins); AC 61-67C.

Check yourself

Stalls and Spins2 min read
The Four Forces and How an Airplane Flies2 min read
Prepare for: Power-Off Stalls (Approach-to-Landing)Lesson Prep
Prepare for: Power-On Stalls (Departure)Lesson Prep
Prepare for: Accelerated StallsLesson Prep
Prepare for: Maneuvering During Slow FlightLesson Prep
Prepare for: Spin Awareness and Spin TrainingLesson Prep
Prepare for: CFI Stall DemonstrationsLesson Prep
Prepare for: Steep TurnsLesson Prep