Effect of rudder efficiency of high-speed aircraft subject to high-energy jet

High maneuverability is required for high-speed aircraft. However, the traditional control method with mechanical rudder surface deflection has some defects such as weak control ability and long response time. In this paper, numerical simulations analyze the ability of high-energy jet to improve the control efficiency of X-51A aircraft. The deflection angle of the rudder is 0°–18°, and the high-energy jet is applied to the head of the aircraft and the windward side of the rudder surface. The control effects of the two control methods are compared and analyzed. The results show that within the range of the rudder deflection angle mentioned in this paper, applying high-energy jet control on the head of the aircraft will weaken the rudder surface control efficiency of the X-51A-like aircraft, while applying high-energy jet control on the wind-side of the rudder surface can enhance the rudder surface control efficiency of the aircraft by 13.78%. In this study, numerical simulations were used to analyze the effect of applying high-energy jets at different positions to enhance the efficiency of the rudder surface of a high-speed aircraft. This paper offers a novel concept for employing active flow control methods to enhance the efficiency of high-speed aircraft's rudder surfaces, thereby improving the application potential of such aircraft. These findings can serve as a reference for future research on the efficiency of rudder surfaces in high-speed aircraft.