The Ground Effect The Engines of Our Ingenuity

Today, the ground effect. The University of Houston's College of Engineering presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run and about the people whose ingenuity created them.  An odd thing happens when an aeroplane flies very close to the water or the ground -- less than a wingspan above the surface. At that height, air is forced in under the wing. As it's slightly-compressed, the air improves lift and the plane needs a lot less power to stay aloft. It partially coasts upon that cushion of air.

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The Ground Effect The Engines of Our Ingenuity