What is one disadvantage of a sweptback wing design?

A significant disadvantage of a sweptback wing design is that the wingtip sections can stall before the wing root. This phenomenon occurs due to the way airflow behaves over a swept wing during high angles of attack. The airflow tends to separate from the wing at the outer section first, as the angle of incidence effectively increases at the wingtips due to the sweepback. This can lead to a loss of control effectiveness and can produce a situation where the aircraft can experience adverse handling characteristics.

When the wingtip stalls first, it can create a condition known as a "tip stall," which is particularly dangerous because it can lead to a loss of aileron control. The pilot may find it challenging to maintain coordinated flight and could experience difficulties in rolling the aircraft, especially in turns. This characteristic highlights the importance of understanding stall behavior in sweptback designs and necessitates careful management of angle of attack during flight to avoid such stalls from occurring.

The other options either do not accurately describe the characteristics of a sweptback wing or are not typically disadvantages associated with this wing design's performance and handling qualities.