https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_freedom
If not it isn't really flying. I don't know if it moves around with forces in 6DOF or not either.
If not it isn't really flying. I don't know if it moves around with forces in 6DOF or not either.
Imho no, an Ekranoplan does not fly freely. Nothing to do with a bogus DOF count though
It seems that you don't understand the implication of the DOF count. Flying means moving freely through the air. That, colloquially, means 6degree of freedom movement through space. It means looping a, it means barrel rolls, it means it can run circles and go backwards and move upside down. You know, flying.
Ekranoplans fly as much as an hovercraft does, which mean they don't. Case in point: they are unable to do 6dof movement. An ekranoplan doesn't do barrel rolls for example.
A 747 with no fuel can't take off and fly.
A 747 with so much load that it never takes off at all, can't fly.
And IMHO, a 747 with just so much load that it can barely take off but can't get out of ground effect, also can't fly. It's borderline, but not really.
It's an academic distinction though. Give the 747 a while, and it will burn enough fuel to lighten and ascend.