Aircraft Turn Radius Calculator
In a level coordinated turn the horizontal component of lift bends the flight path, and the geometry follows from speed and bank angle alone. Turn radius equals true airspeed squared over gravity times the tangent of the bank, while rate of turn and load factor follow from the same two inputs. These figures matter for holding patterns, traffic pattern spacing, and understanding the structural stress a steep bank imposes. This calculator takes true airspeed in knots and bank angle in degrees and returns the turn radius in feet, the rate of turn in degrees per second, the time for a full 360, and the load factor.
Turn radius formula
V_fps = true airspeed (kt) * 1.6878
Radius = V_fps^2 / (32.174 * tan(bank))
Rate of turn = 1091 * tan(bank) / true airspeed (kt)
Time for 360 = 360 / rate of turn
Load factor = 1 / cos(bank)
Gravity is taken as 32.174 feet per second squared. The 1.6878 factor converts knots to feet per second; 1,091 is the standard constant for rate of turn in degrees per second with airspeed in knots.
Turn performance notes
- Radius and rate depend only on speed and bank, not on aircraft weight, in a coordinated level turn.
- A standard rate turn is 3 degrees per second, a full circle in two minutes.
- Load factor reaches 2 g at 60 degrees of bank and climbs steeply beyond that.
- At altitude the same indicated airspeed means a higher true airspeed, widening the turn.
- Steep turns require added power and back pressure to hold altitude as induced drag rises.
Turn radius: frequently asked questions
How is aircraft turn radius calculated?
For a level, coordinated turn the radius equals the velocity squared divided by gravity times the tangent of the bank angle. With true airspeed in feet per second and gravity at 32.174 feet per second squared, the radius comes out in feet. A steeper bank or a slower speed both tighten the turn.
What is rate of turn?
Rate of turn is how fast the heading changes, in degrees per second. A common working form uses 1,091 times the tangent of the bank angle divided by the true airspeed in knots. A standard rate turn is 3 degrees per second, which takes two minutes to complete a 360 degree turn.
What is load factor in a turn?
Load factor is the ratio of lift to weight, equal to one divided by the cosine of the bank angle in a level turn. At 60 degrees of bank the load factor is 2, meaning the wings and occupants feel twice the force of gravity. Load factor rises sharply as bank steepens.
Does weight change the turn radius?
No. In a coordinated level turn the radius and rate depend only on true airspeed and bank angle, not on aircraft weight. A light trainer and a heavy jet at the same speed and bank trace the same radius, although the heavier aircraft needs more lift and may not sustain a steep bank without losing altitude.
Why does true airspeed matter rather than indicated?
The turn geometry is governed by the aircraft's actual speed through the air mass, which is true airspeed. Indicated airspeed understates true airspeed at altitude, so at high altitude the same indicated speed gives a larger turn radius and a slower rate of turn than it would near sea level.
Official sources
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 17 June 2026. See our methodology.