Low hub-to-tip ratio fan for a turbofan gas turbine engine

A turbofan gas turbine engine including a fan upstream of at least one compressor and defining a fan centerline about which the fan rotates, the fan comprising:

• a rotor hub and a plurality of fan blades substantially radially extending from the rotor hub to outer tips thereof, the fan blades being arranged in a single blade row on the rotor hub, each of the fan blades of the single blade row having an airfoil with a leading edge, the leading edge of the airfoil extending from a hub radius (RHUB) at the rotor hub to a tip radius (RTIP) at the outer tip, and wherein a ratio of the hub radius to the tip radius (RHUB/RTIP) is less than 0.29.

A method of manufacturing a fan for a turbofan gas turbine engine, the fan adapted to rotate about a fan centerline axis, the method comprising:

• providing a rotor hub having an outer peripheral surface defining a hub radius relative to the fan centerline axis;
• selecting a predetermined length of fan blade airfoils, the predetermined length selected such that a ratio of the hub radius to a tip radius of the blade airfoils, as measured from the fan centerline axis to tips of the fan blade airfoils once the fan blade airfoils are mounted to the rotor hub, is less than 0.29;
• and positioning said fan blade airfoils to the outer peripheral surface of the rotor hub in an axially aligned single blade row, the fan blade airfoils being circumferentially spaced about the rotor hub within the axially aligned single blade row.