"ATPL Intensive Program Practice Exam 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!"

When the center of gravity (CG) is positioned towards the aft limit of an aircraft, several aerodynamic characteristics are altered. One significant effect is related to the balance and stability of the aircraft, which can lead to increased drag.

With the CG located further aft, the aircraft often experiences a more pronounced pitch-up tendency, resulting in a shallower angle of attack that can decrease the effectiveness of the wings. This can result in drag increasing as the aircraft tries to maintain level flight at high angles of attack. Increased drag affects fuel efficiency, leading to decreased range because the engines must work harder to overcome this drag.

Moreover, the aircraft may not be able to generate sufficient lift at lower speeds due to its altered aerodynamics, which can also contribute to the increased stall speed. As the aircraft approaches the stalling angle of attack, the risk of stalling becomes higher, particularly in scenarios where the CG position compromises the aircraft's controllability.

Therefore, the correct answer centers around the concept of increased drag due to an aft CG, which directly impacts the range and stall characteristics of the aircraft.