Aerodynamic Evaluation of Wing-in-Ground Effect Craft Designed Using a Biomimetic Approach

Abstract

Biomimicry provides a design framework that emulates biological characteristics to exploit their functional advantages. This study presents a biomimetic-based aerodynamic assessment of wing-in-ground (WiG) configurations inspired by flying animals, including birds and mammals, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Three biomimetic wing models were developed by translating biological characteristics—such as body size, wing geometry, and flight behavior—into engineering design parameters relevant to near-surface flight. Numerical simulations were performed to evaluate lift, drag, lift-to-drag ratio, and trim stability under various operating conditions. The results demonstrate that each biomimetic configuration exhibits distinct aerodynamic performance consistent with its biological inspiration. The brown pelican-inspired model achieved the highest lift force, reaching approximately 68 kN, reflecting its natural adaptation for efficient lift generation near the surface. In contrast, the sugar glider-inspired model produced the lowest lift, approximately 37 kN, corresponding to its lightweight gliding characteristics. Overall, the findings confirm that biomimicry provides a rational and effective framework for preliminary WiG craft design, enabling aerodynamic performance to be systematically tailored through biologically inspired geometrical adaptations.

Keywords

Biomimicry / Wing-in-Ground (WiG) effect / Aerodynamic analysis / Brown pelican / Sugar glider

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Harbin Engineering University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature