Ground Effect Vehicles (GEVs), utilizing the aerodynamic ground effect, have existed ever since the 1900s. Despite the conceptualization of this technology, GEVs, exemplified by the Soviet Lun class ekranoplans, saw limited use. The Soviet Union developed these innovative vehicles, yet they were underutilized before being retired along with the collapse of the Union. This historical example highlighted the untouched potential of GEVs. A 2014 study by students at NASA's Ames Research Center (research report cited in citations) claims that by using GEVs for passenger travel could lead to cheaper costs, increased accessibility, and less pollution. However, the development of GEVs have been held back, due to some issues with current designs, such as limited maneuverability, constrains in operating conditions, and avoiding obstacles.

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Alter, L. (2022, February 14). Bring back the ekranoplan. Treehugger. https://www.treehugger.com/bring-back-ekranoplan-flying-greener-5218830

Valentine, H. (2022, July 20). The evolving environmental case for ground-effect transportation. The Maritime Executive. https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/the-evolving-environmental-case-for-ground-effect-transportation

Kaczmarczyk, M. (2023, June 1). Investigating the ground effect with Simscale. SimScale. https://www.simscale.com/blog/investigating-ground-effect/

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