28 November 2008

Rolls Plans ‘Puller’ Open Rotor Work While GE Readies for Noise Tests

It looks like Rolls Plans ‘is looking hard at a "puller configuration" for it's advanced propfan. (paid subscription required)

They believe that the issues involved in mounting the fan in the immediate vicinity of hot exhaust from the core are challenging, so they are looking at a more conventional "turboprop like" layout.

Of course, it's all tradeoffs, as the "puller" configuration has issues of the interaction between the prop wash and the pylons and inlets too, which need to be carefully managed to handle noise, which is generally considered to be the Achilles heel of propfans.

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