What are the pros/cons of ducted/non-ducted/ortho’d/whatever?
Never worked on a helo w/ a ducted tail rotor - and not a design engineer, but it just doesn't look natural. Like something one might find on a cute little French helicopter....
Quieter, better protected, more aerodynamic during cruse. But heavier, more expensive, less power during hover.
Calvin Locke:
“What are the pros/cons of ducted/non-ducted/ortho’d/whatever?”
Pros are that the Fenestron type enclosed tail rotors have a lower noise signature than a traditional tail rotor and are less susceptible to incidental damage than a traditional non-enclosed tail rotor.
As for cons - the Fenestron type tail rotors are slightly more mechanically complex than a traditional tail rotor, but that is more than made up for by the reduced noise and protection of the tail rotor shroud.