In stall with a swept-back wing, which part stalls first?

• A. Wing roots stall first.
• B. Wing tips stall first.
• C. Center section stalls first.
• D. The entire wing stalls simultaneously.

Answer: (B)

When a wing is swept, the distribution of lift across the span isn’t the same as with a straight wing. Spanwise flow tends to carry energy toward the outer wing, which makes the inner portion reach the critical angle of attack first. So the root of the wing stalls before the outer sections, and as you increase the angle of attack further, the stall propagates outward toward the tips. This pattern helps keep the outer wing flying a bit longer, preserving aileron control until later in the stall. Of course, real-wing effects like twist and other geometry can tweak the progression, but the typical behavior is root-first, with the stall moving outward from there.