Definition
The point on an airfoil where the total sum of aerodynamic pressure forces is considered to act, producing a single resultant lift vector. Its location along the chord shifts with changes in angle of attack, and on a contaminated or iced airfoil it can move unpredictably, altering pitching moments.
Plain English
The single spot on a wing or tail surface where you can think of all the lift as pulling from. As the wing's angle to the air changes, that spot moves forward or backward along the surface.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft diagrams that show lift, tail force, or icing effects with arrows acting on a wing or tail surface.
Derivation
From the Latin centrum (middle point) and pressura (a pressing). The 'pressure' here refers to the aerodynamic pressure distribution across the airfoil — not cabin or atmospheric pressure. The center of pressure is simply the balance point of all those pressing forces.
Why Pilots Care
Ice can shift the CP aft on the tailplane, increasing downward force and the risk of a tailplane stall.
Grounding Statement
On the tailplane, CP is the point where the airflow’s combined push is shown as one force.
Intuition Check
CP is not the aircraft’s balance point. It is where the air’s force acts on a surface, not where the aircraft’s weight is centered.
Example Sentence 1
As angle of attack increases, the center of pressure on the wing moves forward along the chord.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot understood that a forward shift in CP on the wing would increase the nose-up tendency.