This study investigates the mission-level impact of a Coanda-coflow fluidic thrust vectoring system (TVS) on a generic, class III, unmanned aircraft system (UAS), inspired by common designs for collaborative combat aircraft, powered by a low-bypass turbofan engine with axial-radial high-pressure compressor. Emphasis is placed on assessing the influence of fluidic thrust vectoring on overall mission performance. The proposed fluidic TVS is supplied with bleed air from the engine compressor and analyzed using a digital test platform called the Engine Mission Simulation System (EMSS) tailored to explore the coupling effects between engine, airframe and flight-mission. The EMSS enables real-time data exchange and data-coupling at every simulation timestep, providing an accurate representation of in-mission dynamics. It uses NPSS for engine modeling, xPlane for the aircraft’s representation and MATLAB/Simulink for interfaces and control. To investigate the fluidic thrust vectoring system, high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data were implemented in the EMSS as a surrogate model for the fluidic thrust vectoring nozzle (TVN), ensuring a detailed representation of thrust vectoring behavior. Results show that fluidic thrust vectoring (fTV) allows a significant reduction in elevator deflections and horizontal tailinduced drag, while enhancing system-level control flexibility. In the reduced-tail configuration, fTV compensates for aerodynamic control losses and maintains stability margins with only moderate penalties in specific fuel consumption and pressure losses due to bleed air extraction. The engine model captures shifts in the operating point on the compressor map, confirming safe margins from the surge line throughout the mission. Overall, the study demonstrates that fluidic thrust vectoring can support mission performance without compromising propulsion performance, particularly when integrated early in the design phase. The EMSS framework proved effective in capturing the coupled dynamics of flight control and engine behavior, making it a valuable tool for advanced vehicle design and concept evaluation.
«
This study investigates the mission-level impact of a Coanda-coflow fluidic thrust vectoring system (TVS) on a generic, class III, unmanned aircraft system (UAS), inspired by common designs for collaborative combat aircraft, powered by a low-bypass turbofan engine with axial-radial high-pressure compressor. Emphasis is placed on assessing the influence of fluidic thrust vectoring on overall mission performance. The proposed fluidic TVS is supplied with bleed air from the engine compressor and an...
»