Aviation glossary
Fenestron
A tail rotor housed inside the vertical fin. Reduces noise and the risk of tail-rotor strike compared with an exposed rotor.
A fenestron is an enclosed multi-blade ducted fan built into the tail fin. It protects the rotor from foreign objects and people on the ground from the blades, lowers noise levels and improves tail aerodynamics. It requires more power in the hover and more precise pedal work. The fenestron is used by many modern Airbus helicopters (H120, H130, H135, H145, H160) — and on a smaller scale by the Guimbal Cabri G2, whose partly shrouded tail rotor follows a similar philosophy.