Preliminary Design of a Ducted Fan Propulsion System for General Aviation Aircraft

Recently, a significant level of interest has been expressed in the development and application of ducted fan propulsion systems, similar to those used in radio controlled scale model jets^1,2, for experimental replica jet aircraft^3,4 and possibly for certified aircraft. The authors have developed a preliminary design tool from methodology⁵ previously developed and calibrated for the McDonnell-Douglas NOTAR™ helicopter pneumatic anti-torque system. The design tool, PDF (Preliminary Design Ducted Fan), is an aero/thermodynamic analysis program which simulates the internal flow of the fan/duct systems in a systematic component build-up approach.