Ground effect (aerodynamics)

In aircraft, the ground effect is the reduced aerodynamic drag that an aircraft's wings generate when they are close to a surface (land or water). Ground effect is relevant for fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft, VTOL/STOL, and ground vehicles. Ground effect reduces drag by 40–50%, improving aircraft lift-to-drag ratios to 20–30, compared to 15–20 for conventional aircraft.

The principal benefit of operating in ground effect is to reduce its lift-induced drag. The closer the wing operates to a surface such as the ground, when it is said to be in ground effect, the less drag it experiences. When an aircraft enters ground effect, the surface pushes back against the downwash, which reduces its drag.

During takeoff, ground effect can cause an aircraft to "float" while accelerating towards the climb speed, reducing friction.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.