If the same angle of attack is maintained in ground effect as when out of ground effect, what will happen to lift and induced drag?

When an aircraft is in ground effect, the lift characteristics change due to the influence of the ground's proximity. If the angle of attack is maintained the same as when the aircraft is out of ground effect, the lift will indeed increase. This is mainly because ground effect reduces the downwash and vortex strength behind the wings, which results in a higher effective angle of attack and, subsequently, greater lift.

As for the induced drag, this typically decreases when the aircraft is in ground effect. Induced drag is a byproduct of lift; therefore, as lift increases, the efficiency of the wings improves due to reduced interference from ground proximity. Thus, even though the same angle of attack is maintained, the aircraft benefits from the ground effect, leading to a reduction in induced drag.

This relationship highlights the unique aerodynamic behavior of an aircraft in close proximity to the ground compared to higher altitudes, where the influence of ground effect is negligible. Therefore, the correct interpretation of maintaining the same angle of attack while in ground effect accurately reflects that lift increases, and induced drag decreases.