AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-ASPECT-RATIO WINGS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE GROUND

A wind-tunnel investigation has been conducted to determine the effect of ground proximity on the aerodynamic characteristics of thick highly cambered rectangular wings with aspect ratios of 1, 2, 4, and 6. The results showed that, for these aspect ratios, as the ground was approached all wings experienced increases in lift-curve slope and reductions in induced drag which resulted in increases in lift-drag ratio. Although an increase in lift-curve slope was obtained for all aspect ratios as the ground was approached, the lift coefficient at an angle of attack of 0 degrees for any given aspect ratio remained nearly constant. The experimental results were in general agreement with Wieselsberger's ground-effect theory. As the wings approached the ground, there was an increase in static longitudinal stability at positive angles of attack. When operating in ground effect, all the wings had stability of height at positive angles of attack and instability of height at negative angles of attack. Wing-tip fairings on the wings with aspect ratios of 1 and 2 produced small increases in lift-drag ratio in ground effect. (Author)