Ground Effect

[earl1937]

  In aviation, an un-seeable force has some bearing on landings, called "ground" effect. What is it and how high above the ground was it effective?

[Widewing]

Ground effect is cause by downwash from the wing, usually at a height within one wingspan of the aircraft. It reduces induced drag.

Ground effect can "buoy" the aircraft on takeoff as well as landing. Ground effect can be limited by flairing a bit lower to avoid the float. Pilots flying float planes will usually see less ground effect than those landing on hot, hard runways.

[pembquist]

deja vu

[kvuo75]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_(aerodynamics)

[fbEagle]

read a story (the name and link escape me) about a prop plane launching off a carrier and was way overloaded. he had to fly out in ground effect for a mile or two until he had enough speed to start raising flaps and climbing

[Randy1]

The Ruskies worked on a pure ground effects plane for sometime.  Their idea was to use it as an ocean fighter if I remember right.

[Xavier]

The Ruskies worked on a pure ground effects plane for sometime.  Their idea was to use it as an ocean fighter if I remember right.

You're probably thinking about Rostislav Alexeyev's works, which culminated in the Ekranoplan KM and some other designs derived from it. His work is a really interesting topic, I recommend an excellent book on the subject: Soviet and Russian Ekranoplans, by Sergey Komissarov and Yefim Gordon (Midland). It cost me about 60$ here in Spain, and it was worth every cent! It's the most extensive and comprehensive work on this subject I've found so far.

[GScholz]

The Ruskies worked on a pure ground effects plane for sometime.  Their idea was to use it as an ocean fighter if I remember right.

They used them as fast naval transports, and as anti-ship missile carriers. The missile carriers started entering service (only one was completed) just as the Soviet Union started falling apart in the late '80s.

[ozrocker]

You want ground effect ? Try a loaded Typhoon.
They seem to react to it most in game.

                                                                                                                                      Oz


                                                                 

[artik]

BTW good documentary about Russian ground effect planes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr8N0Z4Cl0U

[Randy1]

I would think sooner or latter ground effects planes will find a useful place.

When fuel gets real expensive we might see cross country road-air ways  covered in grass built for large freight and passenger travel more fuel efficient ground effects planes.

[colmbo]

You want ground effect ? Try a loaded Typhoon.
They seem to react to it most in game.

How so? What are you seeing that you're attributing to ground effect?