In flight mechanics, radial acceleration refers to the acceleration experienced by an object moving in a circular path, such as an aircraft in a turn. It is also known as centripetal acceleration and is directed towards the center of the circular path. The formula to calculate radial acceleration is:
a_r = V^2 / R
Where:
- “a_r” is the radial acceleration (in m/s² or ft/s²).
- “V” is the speed of the aircraft (or the object) in the circular path (in m/s or ft/s).
- “R” is the radius of the circular path (in meters or feet).