水面飛行機の航続性能

Abstract

The author has considerable interest in the range performance of WIG (Wing-in-Ground) effect vehicles. There are two opposite effects concerning this problem. The favorable one is well-known reduction in the induced drag due to ground proximity. Whilst the unfavorable is no utilisation of reduction in the specific-fuel-consumption of gas-turbine-engine at high altitude. Simple calculations show that WIG is suitable for shorthaul operation, say 1, 000km, than long range, say 10, 000km. Merits and demerits of changing the geometric-wing-aspect-ratio or flight dynamic pressure are discussed.