Load Factor Bank Angle Calculator

Load factor in a level turn: n = 1 / cos(φ)

Hold a coordinated level turn and the load factor comes down to one thing: the bank angle φ. n = 1 / cos(φ). Bank to 30° and you get n = 1.15 g. At 45° it's 1.41 g, and by 60° you're at 2 g, where the pilot feels twice their own weight pressing into the seat. Push toward 90° and n runs off to infinity, which is the reason a true level turn at 90° of bank can't happen. For reference, the Cessna 172 is certified to +3.8 g in the utility category; a Lockheed Martin F-16 holds 9 g through combat maneuvers. There's a catch on the low end too. Stall speed climbs right along with load factor, Vs_turn = Vs · √n, so at 60° of bank your stall speed jumps by √2 ≈ 1.41. That matters a lot when you're cranking it around in the pattern.

Applications

Aerobatic flight (loops, barrel rolls), military sustained-turn rate analysis, dogfight tactics around corner velocity, aircraft structural certification, and pilot G-tolerance training, where G-LOC kicks in around 5 g without an anti-G suit.

FAQ

Does load factor depend on aircraft speed or weight? No. In a coordinated level turn it comes only from the bank angle. Speed and weight change the turn radius and your stall margin, but the n value stays the same.

Why does stall speed rise in a turn? The wing now has to make n times the weight in lift. Because lift scales with V², the slowest speed you can hold goes up by √n.

What is corner velocity? It's the slowest speed at which an aircraft can still pull its structural g-limit. Fly it and you get the tightest sustained turn radius the airframe will take without being overstressed.