http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11432319Video from a couple of years back I hadn't seen before. Does anyone know if these are Ekranoplan-type ground-effect craft or true aircraft? They look too high for GE, but I'm not sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTIoezhRS3gGround effect. Look at the wings' length. Thanks for the interesting article.

I think I would want one for up at the cottage. Fly around Lake Taupo in one of those.Cheers

Ekranoplans are simply short aspect ratio-winged aircaft. There's no magic about them, and no limiting height above ground, either (beyond those imposed on any airplane by lift, power and air density). They are just very inefficient aircaft when operated outside ground effect.

Ekranoplans are simply short aspect ratio-winged aircaft. There's no magic about them, and no limiting height above ground, either (beyond those imposed on any airplane by lift, power and air density). They are just very inefficient aircaft when operated outside ground effect.

I don't recall anyone citing magic being responsible for a ground effect vehicles flight! More over, I'm not aware of a single ground effect vehicle that can sustain flight outside of ground effect, as that's the mission for which it's designed in the first place (staying in ground effect!). Otherwise it wouldn't be called a GEV, but rather a very inefficient aircraft!

Edited February 5, 201214 yr by ZachLW

I don't recall anyone citing magic being responsible for a ground effect vehicles flight! More over, I'm not aware of a single ground effect vehicle that can sustain flight outside of ground effect, as that's the mission for which it's designed in the first place (staying in ground effect!). Otherwise it wouldn't be called a GEV, but rather a very inefficient aircraft!

There are quite a few, apparently. From Wikipedia:"Some GEV designs, such as the Russian Lun and Dingo, have used "power assisted ram" — forced blowing under the wing by auxiliary engines—to achieve a hovercraft-like effect or to assist the takeoff. A GEV differs from a conventional aircraft in that it cannot operate efficiently without ground effect, and so its operating height is limited relative to its wingspan. Some GEVs are, in fact, able to climb out of ground effect."There are enough of them, in fact, that their performance with respect to ground effect has become a factor in their certification process (also from Wikipedia):"One difficulty which has delayed GEV development is the classification and legislation to be applied. the International Maritime Organization has studied the application of rules based on the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft (HSC code) which was developed for fast ships such as hydrofoils, hovercraft, catamarans and the like. The Russian Rules for classification and construction of small type A ekranoplans is a document upon which most GEV design is based. However in 2005, the IMO classified the WISE or GEV crafts under the category of ships.The International Maritime Organization recognizes three classes of ground effect craft:^[16]

1. Type A: a craft which is certified for operation only in ground effect;
2. Type B: a craft which is certified to temporarily increase its altitude to a limited height outside the influence of ground effect but not exceeding 150 m above the surface; and
3. Type C: a craft which is certified for operation outside of ground effect and exceeding 150 m above the surface.

These classes currently only apply to craft carrying 12 passengers or more."These quotes can be located by inputting "ground effect vehicle" in the Wikipedia search field. So, WIGs that can operate outside ground effect are out there. You just don't hear about that aspect of their performance envelope very much because WIGs are supposed to be efficient vehicles, and a WIG above ground effect, even if it can be operated there safely, is just not as efficient as one in it. (And with wings that stubby, that's no surprise!)

Sweet! So I stand corrected. At which point is a WIG a plane, though? Type C?