Floating like a butterfly on planes - the "Ground Effect"
Jan 3, 2016 | 6:38 pm
#17
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Indeed. I did a term paper on a wind tunnel study of ground effect as a junior aero engineering student in 1962. It was well known at the time, both as theory and in practice; my project was hardly cutting-edge research.
Feb 16, 2018 | 11:57 am
#19
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It's actually the reduction in induced-drag due to the ground's disruption of the wingtip votacies.
Feb 19, 2018 | 8:26 am
#20
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Then you should have looked at bit closer, and you might have discovered the 'Ekranoplanes'. They were essentially Soviet Navy missile destroyers, but moving a lot faster burning a lot more fuel.
The trick about WIG aircraft is, that you need less wing to generate the necessary lift as you're flying in the ground effect, and that wing is able to carry an obscene amount of weight. On the other hand, your fuel burn is astronomical as you're ploughing your way through the thick air near the surface.
The trick about WIG aircraft is, that you need less wing to generate the necessary lift as you're flying in the ground effect, and that wing is able to carry an obscene amount of weight. On the other hand, your fuel burn is astronomical as you're ploughing your way through the thick air near the surface.
Just in case anyone wants to spend a few more minutes down this rabbithole:
The Cold War-era Lun-class Ekranoplane was a hovercraft Soviets hoped to use to invade Western Europe.
Feb 20, 2018 | 9:44 am
#21
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There is a ground effect on take off right as the wings start generating positive lift, and on landing. It tends to be more noticeable in smaller aircraft. However, I am sure most people are actually feeling the "flare" on landing, when the nose is slightly lifted just before touchdown.