Analysis of internal flow in a ventral nozzle for STOVL aircraft

Short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft are planned for possible future development. For these aircraft, the same propulsion system will provide power for lift, hover, and horizontal flight. To accomplish this, many designs include a ventral nozzle to provide part of the vertical thrust required. Understanding and predicting the internal aerodynamic flow caused by a single exhaust duct opening are highly desirable in assessing this concept. A numerical simulation of a ventral nozzle is presented and the results are compared with experimental data. Comparisons include visualizations of the flow along the ventral duct walls and in the tailpipe plane of symmetry. Performance calculations are also compared with measured values.