The effects that overloading has on stability also are not generally recognized. An airplane which is observed to be quite stable and controllable when loaded normally, may be discovered to have very different flight characteristics when it is overloaded. Although the distribution of weight has the most direct effect on this, an increase in the airplane's gross weight may be expected to have an adverse effect on stability, regardless of location of the center of gravity.

   The stability of many certificated airplanes is completely unsatisfactory if the gross weight is exceeded.