durabol wrote:
Keys to flying in ground effect:

-want sensitive control so can react quickly to "squirelyness"
-large stabilizer (perhaps a stabilator) and longish tail boom
-optimized control surfaces for good control at low speed
-best to fly only in low wind
-long tow rope to avoid turbulence of or crashing into boat

-anything missing?

Brock

We all start learning somewhere... So yes, there is quite a bit missing.

First and foremost - learn how to do center of gravity calculations
and how to find the center of pressure (Lift) of your wing and tail surfaces.

Then, learn about the relationship between CG and the center of lift and
how that relationship determines stability. A forward CG will give you
that "squirleyness". Correcting the CG/CP relationship will correct it.

A large tail area and long tail arm won't fix instability.

Flying in low wind for sure, but which way???
Which way do the birds fly?


The tow rope could be an interesting problem that could actually be dangerous.
Two parts -

1) where the rope attaches to the aircraft? Will that impart a pitch moment?

2) Jerk. (4th derivative of motion) What happens when the rope suddenly
goes taught? What about if that happens in flight?