What is one key factor affecting the refusal speed?

The aircraft's total weight is a critical factor that directly impacts refusal speed, which is the speed at which a pilot must decide to abort a takeoff and stop the aircraft on the runway. As the weight of the aircraft increases, the required takeoff distance also increases. This means that the aircraft will need to reach a higher speed to achieve the necessary performance for takeoff, which in turn raises the refusal speed.

Heavier aircraft require more thrust to generate lift, thus the speed at which they can safely stop prior to the decision point for takeoff will be higher. Consequently, understanding and calculating the effects of total weight on refusal speed is essential for safe operations, especially in situations where the runway length may be limited.

Other factors, such as bank angle during takeoff, landing gear configuration, and runway altitude, can affect overall performance and handling characteristics, but they do not play as significant a role in determining refusal speed as the total weight does.