Ground Effects On Aircraft Maximum Lift Coefficient

Ground Effect Aerodynamics - Wiley Online Library

That was petty tough to find.

You're off your game. You usually answer these a lot quicker.

Or were you on a 30 minute coffee break?

Thanks, but there's nothing in that reference for the effect of the ground on maximum lift, i.e. the effect of the ground on the maximum attainable lift on an aerofoil (airfoil) or wing and the angle of attack at which it occurs.

I saw a show on TV about this subject quite some time ago. A quick google found this website with interesting information about the history.

At the bottom of that website is this link to the WIG webpage dedicated to ground effect aircraft.

A quick read of the first page shows that drag is greatly reduced and lift is increased by ground effect but density of air limits overall speed. Since large aircraft suffer from drag more than small ones this type of transport is better for large cargo planes.

Drew K