Radius of turn rule of thumb
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Radius of turn rule of thumb
Not really sure this is the correct place, but what was the quick rule of thumb to quickly get a rough estimate of radius of turn?
Miles per minute minus 2? 240 knots would 4nm/min and minus 2 would be 2nm of radius?
Miles per minute minus 2? 240 knots would 4nm/min and minus 2 would be 2nm of radius?
What bank angle? What G?
Concorde used about 35nm radius to do a 180 at Mach 2.02 (1165 kts). Bank of 30° 1.15 g. Tha's just about exactly twice what your rule predicts. Rule = 19.5 nm/minute - 2 = 17.5nm, actual = 35 nm.
Anothe source says 20° bank, 1.06g, 52nm radius turn.
The Blue Angels (F-18 Hornets) had a dual maneuver I saw once. One plane in carrier-landing-config (flaps, gear, hook), the other clean at ~ 610 kts (700 mph). The fast plane would pass the slow one at the middle of the showline, and both would roll into 360-turns timed to return to the crowd at the same moment. "Slow and dirty" used about 0.4-mile radius (less than width of the Mississippi at that point), fast plane flew 3-mile+ radius way out over Arkansas. No idea what angle and G they used.
Concorde used about 35nm radius to do a 180 at Mach 2.02 (1165 kts). Bank of 30° 1.15 g. Tha's just about exactly twice what your rule predicts. Rule = 19.5 nm/minute - 2 = 17.5nm, actual = 35 nm.
Anothe source says 20° bank, 1.06g, 52nm radius turn.
The Blue Angels (F-18 Hornets) had a dual maneuver I saw once. One plane in carrier-landing-config (flaps, gear, hook), the other clean at ~ 610 kts (700 mph). The fast plane would pass the slow one at the middle of the showline, and both would roll into 360-turns timed to return to the crowd at the same moment. "Slow and dirty" used about 0.4-mile radius (less than width of the Mississippi at that point), fast plane flew 3-mile+ radius way out over Arkansas. No idea what angle and G they used.
Google ; csgnetwork.com/aircraft turn performance........
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I am just looking for a simple rule of thumb to use in the terminal area for a medium sized airliner (A320, 737, etc.) and that would make it easy to calculate when to turn into a DME arc and lead radial to turn off it.
On the 727 we used to use 1% of our groundspeed added to the DME arc distance
as a lead in to start the turn to join it
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Or this thread too—> Formula for Radius of Turn
One of the simplest rules-of-thumb that I've seen (assumes limiting bank angle of 25°) is to square the groundspeed (in nm/min) and then divide the result by 9, to give radius in nm.
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Hello DaveReidUK,
Do you mind to give an example? Not sure I understood your rule of thumb.
Thanks.
Edit: Ohhhh I think I got it: so 240kt = 4nm/min =4^2= 16/9 =1.8nm?
Do you mind to give an example? Not sure I understood your rule of thumb.
Thanks.
Edit: Ohhhh I think I got it: so 240kt = 4nm/min =4^2= 16/9 =1.8nm?
Last edited by pineteam; 28th Jul 2019 at 09:03. Reason: Sentence added
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The Mach number -2 or nm/min-2 would work for speeds higher than 180 knots since we are limited to a bank angle of 25°.
I thought the other rule of thumb was TAS or GS divided by 200? 1% of GS is the diameter, isn't it?
I thought the other rule of thumb was TAS or GS divided by 200? 1% of GS is the diameter, isn't it?
Radius of turn for a NAT turnback:
Boeing MCP Bank limit Auto means about 15 AOB in HDG SEL:
TAS 500kts, still air, r = 15nm.
Bank limit set to 25 AOB:
TAS 500kts, still air, r = 7.5nm (which is quite handy as that means you will end up 15nm off track on the reciprocal.)
Same exercise with 100kt crosswind, doubles or halves the radius depending on direction of turn downwind or upwind.
So, to stay within 15nm, use 25 AOB and/or turn into the crosswind if you can.
Boeing MCP Bank limit Auto means about 15 AOB in HDG SEL:
TAS 500kts, still air, r = 15nm.
Bank limit set to 25 AOB:
TAS 500kts, still air, r = 7.5nm (which is quite handy as that means you will end up 15nm off track on the reciprocal.)
Same exercise with 100kt crosswind, doubles or halves the radius depending on direction of turn downwind or upwind.
So, to stay within 15nm, use 25 AOB and/or turn into the crosswind if you can.