POSITIVE RATE From Australia, joined Sep 2001, 2143 posts, RR: 1
Reply 3, posted (13 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 1662 times:
Ground effect is there for a commercial airliner absolutely! If anything it is stronger because jetliners have much larger wings than GA a/c and sometimes they do float and float and float. Some jetliners like the 747 have no flare though and they simply fly straight onto the runway.
DC-10Tech From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 298 posts, RR: 2
Reply 5, posted (13 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1617 times:
I've heard the 747 has a very nice and noticeable ground effect. The DC-10 supposedly isn't too bad at flaps 50 either, although I can say from experience I've rarely rode in the cockpit on a smooth landing.
ScooterTrash From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 569 posts, RR: 9
Reply 6, posted (13 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1614 times:
If I remember my basic aerodynamics correctly it goes something like this...
Ground effect is essentially the reduction of induced drag (the force that wants to slow you down) due to the ground interference with the formation of wingtip vortices. Since you essentially reduce the total drag on the airplane, the forces of thrust, and to some degree lift, are experienced to a greater degree. That's why the airplane "floats" as it nears the ground.
Ground effect is begins to be experienced within approximately 1/2 the wingspan of the ground, that is to say if the wingspan is 100 feet, the ground effect begins at about 50 feet.
Since air carrier aircraft have such large, efficient airfoils, they feel ground effect to a greater degree than do many GA airplanes.