Aeromodellers have long ago implemented a concept that is – at least to date – not possible in people-carrying aviation: faithful reproductions of jet aeroplanes with electric ducted fan, EDF.

The ducted fan principle – as old as jet aeroplanes

The desire to build model aircraft that externally resemble peoplecarrying jets as closely as possible is probably as old as the invention of the first aeroplanes with jet engines nearly 75 years ago. Thus, the idea of placing the propeller in a tubular housing and integrating the assembly in the fuselage of the model aeroplane was fairly obvious. The concept of the "intubed propeller" was developed in the 1930s by Italian aircraft engineer Luigi Stipa (1900 to 1992) and trialled in practice from 1932 with various bizarre-looking Caproni-Stipa experimental planes. To this day, the principle is considered an important step in the development of the jet drive.

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