[rootusrootus]

I think that would be tough. Out in relatively empty airspace, sure, the pilot can make pretty slow turns. But major airports with multiple runways, other airports in the vicinity, military bases, etc, all put hard requirements on the flight corridor. Sometimes the pilot has no choice but to make pretty sharp turns, and that means a pretty fast roll acceleration.

[Retric]

The issue isn’t the bank angle but pitch acceleration felt by the passengers when they pilot wants to bank for a turn. Which opens up several methods to compensate.

You could for example more slowly enter a higher bank angle to have an equally fast turn though passengers would feel more pressed into their seats etc.

Turbulence causing roll upsets seems like it could be a larger issue.

[hnuser123456]

How about... more rudder? Of course, more control surface area means more drag and less fuel efficiency. Wonder if a flying wing style craft that has enough rudder to match traditional cylinder fuselages bank-and-yank capabilities is still more efficient.

[Retric]

Lateral acceleration is less pleasant for passengers. You don’t want peoples drinks to fall off their tray tables for example.

That said there is a fair about of wiggle room so I doubt it’s a significant issue in practice.

[midoridensha]

Maybe they could try inventing a way of keeping drinks from spilling when the container is tipped over...

I even have a cool name word to describe it: "lid"!

[Retric]

Lid or no lid, it’s still a problem if your drink falls off the tray table. Which is one of the reasons they say to put your tray tables in upright an locked position.

But even beyond that feeling like you’re falling out of your seat is unpleasant.

[midoridensha]

Automakers solved this problem many years ago, by making cupholders that are deeply recessed instead of thinking that cups wills somehow magically stay in place with a very minimal indentation (see the "cup holders" on the backsides of glove compartments in 1970s American cars).

[Retric]

Airlines would rather have more people in economy than to include cup holders.

You do sometimes see cup holders on private airplanes, but in commercial aviation the efficient solution is to avoid needing them.

[tagami]

μg coffee cup https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/1...

[drewmol]

Cut a hole for cups to sit in on the back edge of the tray tables?

[Retric]

People falling over is more of a concern, it would take significant lateral acceleration before drinks fell it’s just easy to visualize.

As to why no cup holders, people aren’t going to use them most of the time and they don’t even help that much in turbulence.