Ekranoplan – Ground effect vehicle

Aircraft are known for flying, but do you know ships/boats too are capable of flight! As weird as it sounds, flying ships/boats do exist in the real world and the concept isn’t new! 

Video Credits: Tech Insider

They have existed since the 1960s. These flying ships/boats, commonly known as ground effect vehicle (GEV’s) fly by utilising ground effect. They are also called as ground effect craft, Wing in ground effect (WIG-craft). So what does the term “Ekranoplan” has to do with all this?

In Russian a ground effect vehicle is commonly known as “Ekranoplan.” So, how does a ground effect vehicle fly? What is ground effect? How does a ground effect vehicle maintain operational altitude? Let's know them one by one.

How does a ground effect vehicle fly?

A ground effect vehicle typically uses the forward motion of the aircraft to efficiently generate aerodynamic lift. These unique crafts have comparatively shorter wings compared to a normal aircraft or a seaplane.

Video Credits: Curious Droid

What is ground effect?

When a wing is near to a rigid surface, it experiences an increase in lift and decrease in aerodynamic drag. This is known as ground effect. For example Ground effect is normally utilised for hovering helicopter above the ground.

How does a ground effect vehicle maintain altitude?

A ground effect vehicle normally operates at an altitude of 0.05 to 0.5 time its wing chord. Conventionally elevators are used to control the altitudes however there are automatic height control systems for wig-crafts.