"Tony" wrote in message
oups.com...
I haven't found a decent reference for this -- can anyone help?

Consider a clean low speed airplane -- maybe one of the kit built ones.
Does anyone have some quantitative measure of how much drag is reduced
if the airplane is flown say half or quarter of a wingspan above the
ocean?


If I recall correctly it is about 20%. It is enough that the Russians built
an seaplane with small wings that cruised in ground effect to reduce drag.
It is not just a couple of percent for sure. Your technothriller will be
valid to assume a substantial reduction in drag by flying in ground effect.

Danny Deger