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Which statement, about an aeroplane entering ground effect at constant angle of attack, is correct?

I. The lift coefficient CL increases.
II. The induced drag coefficient CDI increases.

  • A
    I is incorrect, II is incorrect.
  • B
    I is correct, II is correct.
  • C
    I is incorrect, II is correct.
  • D
    I is correct, II is incorrect.

Refer to figure 1 and figure 2.

In figure 1 you can see the effect of downwash on the effective angle of attack and therefore the induced drag of a wing profile.Now the question is asking what will happen to the induced drag coefficient and the lift coefficient when entering ground effect:

  • Induced drag coefficient: Using figure 1, and knowing that when entering ground effect the downwash decreases, we know that our induced angle (αi) will decrease, therefore decreasing the induced drag (DI). This means a decrease in CDI, hence statement 2 is incorrect!
  • Lift coefficient: Using figure 1, and knowing that when entering ground effect, the effective angle of attack (αe) increases because of the decreased downwash, we can see in figure 2 that an increase in effective angle of attack will increase the coefficient of lift of the wing. Therefore we can say that statement 1 is correct!

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