This book is dedicated to the memory of a distinguished Russian engineer, Rostislav E. Alexeyev, who was the first in the world to develop the largest ground effect machine - Ekranoplan. One of Alexeyev's design concepts with the aerodynamic configuration of a jlying wing can be seen on the front page. The book presents a description of a mathematical model of flow past a lifting system, performing steady and unsteady motions in close proximity to the underlying solid surface (ground). This case is interesting for practical purposes because both the aerodynamic and the economic efficiency of the system near the ground are most pronounced. Use of the method of matched asymptotic expansions enables closed form solutions for the aerodynamic characteristics of the wings-in-ground effect. These can be used for design, identification, and processing of experimental data in the course of developing ground effect vehicles. The term extreme ground effect, widely used through out the book, is associated with very small relative ground clearances of the order of 10% or less. The theory of a lifting surface, moving in immediate proximity to the ground, represents one of the few limiting cases that can be treated analytically. The author would like to acknowledge that this work has been influenced by the ideas of Professor Sheila E. Widnall, who was the first to apply the matched asymptotics techniques to treat lifting flows with the ground effect. Saint Petersburg, Russia February 2000 Kirill V. Rozhdestvensky Contents 1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In the last half-century, high-speed water transportation has developed rapidly. Novel high-performance marine vehicles, such as the air cushion vehicle (ACV), surface effect ship (SES), high-speed monohull craft (MHC), catamaran (CAT), hydrofoil craft (HYC), wave-piercing craft (WPC) and small water area twin hull craft (SWATH) have all developed as concepts, achieving varying degrees of commercial and military success. Prototype ACV and SES have achieved speeds of 100 knots in at calm con- tions; however, the normal cruising speed for commercial operations has remained around 35–50 knots. This is partly due to increased drag in an average coastal s- way where such craft operate services and partly due to limitations of the propulsion systems for such craft. Water jets and water propellers face limitations due to c- itation at high speed, for example. SWATH are designed for reduced motions in a seaway, but the hull form is not a low drag form suitable for high-speed operation. So that seems to lead to a problem – maintain water contact and either water propulsion systems run out of power or craft motions and speed loss are a problem in higher seastates. The only way to higher speed would appear to be to disconnect completely from the water surface. You, the reader, might respond with a question about racing hydroplanes, which manage speeds of above 200 kph. Yes, true, but the power-to-weight ratio is extremely high on such racing machines and not economic if translated into a useful commercial vessel.

This book is dedicated to the memory of a distinguished Russian engineer, Rostislav E. Alexeyev, who was the first in the world to develop the largest ground effect machine - Ekranoplan. One of Alexeyev's design concepts with the aerodynamic configuration of a jlying wing can be seen on the front page. The book presents a description of a mathematical model of flow past a lifting system, performing steady and unsteady motions in close proximity to the underlying solid surface (ground). This case is interesting for practical purposes because both the aerodynamic and the economic efficiency of the system near the ground are most pronounced. Use of the method of matched asymptotic expansions enables closed form solutions for the aerodynamic characteristics of the wings-in-ground effect. These can be used for design, identification, and processing of experimental data in the course of developing ground effect vehicles. The term extreme ground effect, widely used through out the book, is associated with very small relative ground clearances of the order of 10% or less. The theory of a lifting surface, moving in immediate proximity to the ground, represents one of the few limiting cases that can be treated analytically. The author would like to acknowledge that this work has been influenced by the ideas of Professor Sheila E. Widnall, who was the first to apply the matched asymptotics techniques to treat lifting flows with the ground effect. Saint Petersburg, Russia February 2000 Kirill V. Rozhdestvensky Contents 1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

New in paperback, this is a book for fans of the golden era of Formula 1. Aimed at motor historians and enthusiasts, this is the first, and the last, word on these fabulous 'ground effect' racing cars. Superbly illustrated with 170 black & white photographs, 20 color photographs and the original working drawings and the cutaways of Tony Matthews. John Tipler is a freelance motoring writer and historian with numerous books on motorsport topics to his credit.

Sports car racing enjoyed one of its strongest decades during the Group C era of the 1980s and early '90s. Competition was heightened by the participation of major manufacturers and private teams, as well as technical improvements in many fields. This photo history looks back at that time.

Unlike conventional aviation authors and instructors I do not teach primary flying, crop dusting, pipeline patrol flying, bush flying, helicopter medical evacuation flying, and air to ground gunnery using instruments inside the aircraft as the primary situational awareness tool. Rather I teach Dutch rolls, slow flight and stalls over the runway, the energy management turns, use of ground effect on all takeoffs, the brisk walk apparent rate of closure approach, hover taxi in fixed wing aircraft, and low level low power mountain flying using sights, sounds, smells, and kinetics. Sight is used 99.9% of the time looking at the ground. Airspeed, nor any other instrument is used in takeoff or landing. This text teaches the art of flying in the old style at low level using ground references. Its author has over sixteen thousand hours of flying Army helicopters, crop dusters, and pipeline patrol airplanes at three feet to five hundred feet above ground level.

Lists citations with abstracts for aerospace related reports obtained from world wide sources and announces documents that have recently been entered into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Database.