During a coordinated level 45° banked turn, if airspeed is reduced from 98 knots to 85 knots, what happens to the turn radius?

• A. Radius increases
• B. Radius decreases
• C. Load factor increases
• D. Load factor decreases

Answer: (B)

In a level coordinated turn, the turn radius depends on speed and bank angle. For a fixed bank, the relationship is R = v^2 / (g tan(phi)). With a 45° bank, tan(phi) is 1, so R simplifies to R ∝ v^2. That means when you slow from 98 knots to 85 knots, the velocity squared gets smaller, so the radius gets smaller as well. In other words, the turn tightens as you slow down, because the same bank angle must provide the centripetal force for a smaller velocity over a shorter path.

The load factor in a level turn depends only on the bank angle (n = 1 / cos(phi)). At 45°, that’s about 1.414 and it stays constant regardless of speed, so it doesn’t change with the speed change. That’s why the other options about load factor aren’t the right description here.