Related to the issues of aviation, is a flying hybrid of aircraft and boats. Ground effect craft are designed to fly close enough to the water surface that a natural air cushion forms under their wings- thus enhancing lift, reducing drag, and allowing for significant gains in efficiency.
Longitudinal stability has been a problem in the past, but various modellers have gone some way to solving the problem by locating the centre of thrust along the aerodynamic centreline- I have my own take on how this could be achieved.
The major issue in small ground effect craft is the drag induced by the water surface just before take-off. Locating thrust so it is directed beneath the wings, enhancing the air cushion at slow speeds, is a solution that helps force the hull up out of the water.
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