Commercial Ground - Basic Aerodynamics 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

When airspeed increases during a coordinated level turn with a fixed bank angle, the load factor remains the same even though the radius of turn increases. This is due to the way load factor is defined in aerodynamics; it is the ratio of the lift generated by the wings to the weight of the aircraft. In a coordinated level turn, the load factor is primarily determined by the bank angle and the gravitational force acting on the aircraft.

As airspeed increases, the lift required to maintain level flight also increases; however, because the bank angle remains constant, the load factor does not change. Instead, a higher airspeed results in an increased radius of turn because the aircraft can cover more distance while maintaining the same angle and altitude. The increase in turn radius occurs because faster airspeeds lead to greater inertial forces acting on the aircraft during the turn, allowing it to turn smoother and with a wider radius without changing the bank angle or load factor significantly.