Kulczyk’s Ducted Fan Motors

Wallace A. “Mike” Kulczyk enjoyed the challenges of building and flying scale model jets.  In the mid-to-late 1960s the biggest challenge involved was simulating the jet engine with ducted fan systems.  Before these systems were commercially available many modelers, including Mike, pioneered “fans in a can.”

Five ducted fan units. Four have a housing made from modified tin cans and one has a wood housing.
Ducted fan motors built by Lt. Col. Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk, National Model Aviation Museum Permanent Collection, 2014.40.

Ducted fan systems placed glow engines inside a close-fitting shroud, often made of a tin food can, and used multi-bladed fans to accelerate air through a nozzle – basically an air pump.  Figuring out the size, angle of blades and materials to build the units required research and ingenuity.  Mike shared his knowledge in an article published in American Aircraft Modeler, February 1971 where he explained the two methods of constructing the multi-bladed fans, as well as the importance of finding the right size container (his recommendation was to visit the grocery store with a ruler).

Mike’s hard work certainly paid off, if these pictures of his CL F-100 Super Sabre are anything to go by.

this black and white picture shows how the ducted fan unit fits inside the fuselage of a F-100 model jet.
A close-up of the ducted fan unit installed in an F-100 model jet built by Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk.  Picture provided In Memory of Lt. Col. Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk by his children. 2014.40.
Working on his F-100 jet MIke is in the center of a loose circle of men, teenagers and a young girl all eagerly watching him get the plane ready for flight.
Friends and family watch as Mike works on his ducted fan installed in his F-100 CL model in 1966. Photo shared courtesy of the children of Lt. Col. Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk, 2014.40.
Mike Kulczyk flies one of his F-100 ducted fan powered Control Line models, March 1966. Photo shared courtesy of the children of Lt. Col. Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk, 2014.40.
Mike Kulczyk flies one of his F-100 ducted fan powered CL model, March 1966. Photo shared courtesy of the children of Lt. Col. Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk, 2014.40.

Interested in making your own fan in a can?  This drawing explains the main points, and feel free to email Maria at mariav@modelaircraft.org to request a copy of his 1971 article (article reprints are $4.00.)  There’s also several books about ducted fan units and model jets in the museum’s library.

This ink drawing shows the steps involved to construct a fan in a can ducted fan unit.
Kulczyk, Wallace A. Drawing, “Ducted Fan ‘Power-Pak.’” American Aircraft Modeler, February 1971, pg. 42. National Model Aviation Museum Library.

Five of Mike’s ducted fan units are in the museum’s collection, as well as several of his flow straighteners and impellers.  The items were donated by Richard Maus, In Memory of Lt. Col. Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk and In Memory of Lt. Col. Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk by his children.

five ducted fan units as well as five flow straightners posed on a gray background.
The full ducted fan units, as well as some individual fan rotors and stator extensions donated to the museum by Richard Maus, In Memory of Lt. Col. Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk and In Memory of Lt. Col. Wallace “Mike” Kulczyk by his children. National Model Aviation Museum Permanent Collection, 2014.31 and 2014.40.

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