Which component of lift is primarily responsible for providing the inward pull that keeps the aircraft in a curved path during a turn?

Which component of lift is primarily responsible for providing the inward pull that keeps the aircraft in a curved path during a turn?

• A. Drag
• B. Weight
• C. Horizontal component of lift
• D. Lift

Answer: (C)

When a plane turns, it must bank to tilt the lift force. Lift is the force acting perpendicular to the wings, and with a bank angle the lift vector tilts away from vertical. That tilt creates two components: a vertical component that balances weight, and a horizontal component that points toward the center of the turn. It is this horizontal component of lift that provides the centripetal force, pulling the aircraft inward so it follows a curved path. Drag and weight don’t supply this inward pull—drag acts opposite the flight path and weight acts downward. Lift as a whole is lifted into two parts by the bank, and only the horizontal part contributes to turning.

When a plane turns, it must bank to tilt the lift force. Lift is the force acting perpendicular to the wings, and with a bank angle the lift vector tilts away from vertical. That tilt creates two components: a vertical component that balances weight, and a horizontal component that points toward the center of the turn. It is this horizontal component of lift that provides the centripetal force, pulling the aircraft inward so it follows a curved path. Drag and weight don’t supply this inward pull—drag acts opposite the flight path and weight acts downward. Lift as a whole is lifted into two parts by the bank, and only the horizontal part contributes to turning.