Abstract
Most research today into the aerodynamics of ducts seeks to increase the thrust or efficiency of a propeller nested inside. This study takes a different approach to duct design and instead examines the use of a duct as an annular wing with the primary function of generating lift for high speed, cruising flight. The variables of investigation for this research are the location of the propeller inside the annular wing and how the thrust generated by the propeller effects the performance of the wing at various angles of attack. This investigation utilises wind tunnel testing to measure the forces generated by the wing and computational fluid dynamics to study the nature of the flow. The results show little difference aerodynamically between fore and aft mounting locations for the propeller in non-stalled flight, however, a forward mounted propeller is shown to be preferable when the flight envelope also includes the stalled regime. In hover, the aft propeller is shown to be favourable.