A change in direction without a change in speed. Occurs when pulling out of a dive, pushes over into a dive, or performs an inside or outside turn.

A change in direction without a change in speed. Occurs when pulling out of a dive, pushes over into a dive, or performs an inside or outside turn.

• A. Radial Acceleration
• B. Angular Acceleration
• C. Linear Acceleration
• D. Transverse G Force

Answer: (A)

When you change direction without changing speed, the motion is governed by centripetal (radial) acceleration. In a dive pull-out, a dive push-over, or an inside or outside turn, the aircraft follows a curved path, so the velocity vector rotates toward the center of that curve while its magnitude stays roughly the same. To bend the path, the acceleration points toward the center of curvature and has magnitude v^2/r, increasing with speed or with a tighter turn. This radial acceleration is what you feel as the load factor during a turn. Angular acceleration would require a change in how quickly the aircraft is spinning about an axis, not just changing direction of travel. Linear acceleration would mean speeding up or slowing down along the path. Transverse G force describes a component of the feeling of G in a turning motion, but the fundamental concept describing a change in direction with constant speed is radial (centripetal) acceleration.

When you change direction without changing speed, the motion is governed by centripetal (radial) acceleration. In a dive pull-out, a dive push-over, or an inside or outside turn, the aircraft follows a curved path, so the velocity vector rotates toward the center of that curve while its magnitude stays roughly the same. To bend the path, the acceleration points toward the center of curvature and has magnitude v^2/r, increasing with speed or with a tighter turn. This radial acceleration is what you feel as the load factor during a turn.

Angular acceleration would require a change in how quickly the aircraft is spinning about an axis, not just changing direction of travel. Linear acceleration would mean speeding up or slowing down along the path. Transverse G force describes a component of the feeling of G in a turning motion, but the fundamental concept describing a change in direction with constant speed is radial (centripetal) acceleration.