  Paper presents a review of modern works on the gasdynamic flow control using
a heat release in highly nonequilibrium pulsed plasma. The major attention is
paid to the effects based on ultrafast (on nanosecond time scale at atmospheric
pressure) local heating of the gas, since at present the main successes in
high-speed flow control using gas discharges are associated with namely this
thermal effect. The physical mechanisms that control the interaction of the
discharges with gas flows are considered in detail. The first part of the
review briefly describes the most popular approaches in plasma aerodynamics for
the pulsed localized energy deposition: nanosecond surface barrier discharges,
pulsed spark discharges, and nanosecond/femtosecond laser discharges. The
mechanisms of ultrafast heating of air at high electric fields realized in
these discharges, as well as during the decay of a discharge plasma, are
analyzed. The second part of the review contains numerous examples of plasma
control of gasdynamic flows. The control of the shock waves configuration in
front of a supersonic object and control of its trajectory; the control of
quasistationary separated flows and layers; the control of a laminar-turbulent
transition; the control of static and dynamic separation of the boundary layer
at large angles of attack; as well as the operation of plasma actuators in
various weather conditions; and the use of plasma as an anti-icing tool for
flying objects are analyzed.
