Load factor calculator
How much load does a turn add?
Pick a bank angle and enter a weight. You get the load factor, the load the airframe must carry, and how much the stall speed rises: the same math as the FAA's Figure 2 load factor chart on the Part 107 test.
Load factor
1.15 G
Load the structure supports
38.1 lb
Stall speed in this turn
Enter a stall speed
Load factor in a level turn
The curve is flat at first and then climbs steeply: 30° adds about 15%, 60° doubles the load, and 80° is nearly 6 G. A level turn at 90° is not possible, so the slider stops at 80°.
| Bank angle | Load factor | Stall speed rises by |
|---|---|---|
| 0° | 1.00 G | +0% |
| 10° | 1.02 G | +1% |
| 20° | 1.06 G | +3% |
| 30° | 1.15 G | +7% |
| 40° | 1.31 G | +14% |
| 45° | 1.41 G | +19% |
| 50° | 1.56 G | +25% |
| 60° | 2.00 G | +41% |
| 70° | 2.92 G | +71% |
| 80° | 5.76 G | +140% |
Load factor questions
- How do you calculate load factor in a turn?
- In a level, coordinated turn, load factor equals 1 divided by the cosine of the bank angle. At 30 degrees it is about 1.15 G, at 45 degrees about 1.41 G, and at 60 degrees exactly 2 G.
- How do you answer the FAA load factor chart question?
- Multiply the aircraft weight by the load factor for the bank angle. The FAA sample question asks about a 33-pound airplane in a 30-degree bank: 33 times about 1.154 is about 38 pounds.
- Why does stall speed go up in a turn?
- The wing has to produce more lift to hold altitude, so it reaches the critical angle of attack at a higher airspeed. The FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge says stall speed increases in proportion to the square root of the load factor.
- Does load factor apply to multirotor drones?
- The same geometry does. A multirotor tilted to hold altitude in a turn or in fast forward flight needs thrust equal to its weight divided by the cosine of the tilt angle, so hard maneuvering uses up thrust margin.
Read more: load factor on the Part 107 test, density altitude and drone performance, and the weight planner.