Estimate turn radius and rate of turn using true airspeed and bank angle. This free aviation calculator helps pilots better understand maneuvering flight, instrument turns, and aircraft turning performance.
Enter true airspeed and bank angle to estimate rate of turn in degrees per second and turn radius in feet and nautical miles.
This calculator uses common aviation approximations with true airspeed in knots and bank angle in degrees.
Rate of turn describes how quickly an aircraft changes heading, usually in degrees per second. Turn radius describes how large the turn is over the ground or through the air, depending on the conditions being considered.
At a given bank angle, faster airspeed produces a wider turn and a slower rate of turn. At a given airspeed, more bank angle creates a tighter turn and a faster rate of turn.
| Rate of Turn | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 3°/sec | Standard rate turn |
| 180° in 1 minute | Standard rate half turn |
| 360° in 2 minutes | Standard rate full turn |
At the same airspeed, a steeper bank angle increases rate of turn. At the same bank angle, lower airspeed increases rate of turn.
Higher airspeed increases turn radius. Steeper bank angle reduces turn radius.
This calculator estimates actual turning performance from airspeed and bank angle. Standard rate is a specific target of 3 degrees per second.
Yes. Wind affects the shape of the turn over the ground. This calculator is primarily a pilot training approximation based on airspeed and bank angle.