Enter the velocity of the aircraft and the bank angle into the calculator to determine the aircraft turn radius.

Aircraft Turn Radius Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Aircraft Turn Radius.

ATr = V^2/ 11.26*tan(b) 
  • Where ATr is the aircraft turn radius (ft)
  • V is the velocity of the aircraft (knots)
  • b is the bank angle (degrees)

To calculate an aircraft turn radius, square the velocity, divide by 11.25, then finally multiply by the tangent of the bank angle.

What is an Aircraft Turn Radius?

Definition:

An aircraft turn radius is the approximate radius that an aircraft would turn at given a velocity and bank angle.

How to Calculate Aircraft Turn Radius?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate Aircraft Turn Radius.

First, determine the aircraft velocity. For this example, the aircraft is moving at a speed of 150 knots.

Next, determine the bank angle. This aircraft is turning at a standard bank of 25 degrees.

Finally, calculate the aircraft turn radius using the formula above:

ATr = V^2/ 11.26*tan(b)

ATr = 150^2/ (11.26*tan(25deg))

ATr = 4285.20 ft