Which statement correctly describes the effect of increasing bank angle on lift components?

Which statement correctly describes the effect of increasing bank angle on lift components?

• A. The vertical component of lift increases and the horizontal component decreases.
• B. The total lift remains constant as bank angle increases.
• C. The vertical component of lift decreases and the horizontal component increases.
• D. Both components of lift increase with bank angle.

Answer: (C)

When you bank the airplane, the lift vector tilts away from the vertical toward the wings. You can think of lift as having two components: a vertical component that helps balance weight, and a horizontal component that provides the centripetal force to turn. If the total lift is not changed, the vertical component is L cos(bank angle) and the horizontal component is L sin(bank angle). As the bank angle increases, cos(bank angle) decreases and sin(bank angle) increases, so the vertical component decreases while the horizontal component increases. The horizontal portion pulls the aircraft into the turn, while the vertical portion diminishes—unless you increase total lift to keep the vertical component equal to weight, which is typically done in practice to maintain altitude.

When you bank the airplane, the lift vector tilts away from the vertical toward the wings. You can think of lift as having two components: a vertical component that helps balance weight, and a horizontal component that provides the centripetal force to turn. If the total lift is not changed, the vertical component is L cos(bank angle) and the horizontal component is L sin(bank angle). As the bank angle increases, cos(bank angle) decreases and sin(bank angle) increases, so the vertical component decreases while the horizontal component increases. The horizontal portion pulls the aircraft into the turn, while the vertical portion diminishes—unless you increase total lift to keep the vertical component equal to weight, which is typically done in practice to maintain altitude.