Calculation of the wing aerodynamic characteristics with ground effect using panel methods

This paper presents a mathematical model of the flow around wings near the ground. A potential flow was assumed in the whole domain, excluding vortex wake. Two calculational models are considered: the first one, for thin wings, based on the vortex lattice method, and the second one, for thick wings, based on the Hess method. The aerodynamic characteristics calculated are: lift coefficient, pitching moment coefficient, induced drag coefficient and also the gradient of lift coefficient and the induced angle of attack as a function of the altitude above the ground. There is presented a comparison between the aerodynamic characteristics calculated assuming infinitesimaly thin wing and those calculated using the method including the wing thickness.