Re: Would a helicopter rotor work in a 'ducted fan' type of configuration?

Hi Dean,

That's a good question. The simple answer is yes, it would work for the
reasons you suggest.

In fact, some helicopters, such as the Eurocopter Dauphin, use a ducted fan
for the tail rotor. I don't know of a helicopter that uses a ducted fan for
the main rotor, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There are a number
of helicopter-like aircraft that use a ducted fan for lift. Most of these
aircraft are not technically helicopters, such as tilt rotor designs and
vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) design such as the Harrier jump jet, but
they can hover like a helicopter.

The ducted fan design you describe should work, but it will likely be less
efficient compared with a conventional helicopter. Ducted fans are heavier
and consume more fuel than a conventional rotor for a given amount of thrust.

Here are some links that you might find useful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducted_fan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenestron

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VTOL


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