A rotary wing aircraft comprising: a fuselage including a plurality of surfaces; at least one engine mounted in the fuselage; a rotor assembly including a rotor shaft and plurality of rotor blades operatively connected to the rotor shaft, the rotor assembly including a plurality of surface portions; a rotor shaft fairing extending between the fuselage and the rotor assembly and about at least a portion of the rotor shaft, the rotor shaft fairing including an outer surface having a leading edge surface portion, a trailing edge surface portion, a first lateral side surface portion extending between the leading edge surface portion and the trailing edge surface portion, a second, opposing lateral side surface portion extending between the leading edge surface portion and the trailing edge surface portion, a first surface facing the fuselage and a second, opposing surface facing away from the fuselage, the rotor shaft fairing further including an intermediate portion defined, at least in part by the leading edge surface portion, trailing edge surface portion and first and second side surface portions (95, 96); characterized in that the rotary wing aircraft further comprises a plate member (120,122) mounted to at least a portion of the rotor shaft fairing, the plate member (120,122) being configured and disposed to increase an aspect ratio of and reduce induced drag on the rotor shaft fairing; the plate member (120,122) projecting proudly of the trailing edge surface portion and at least a portion of each of the first and second lateral side surface portions (95,96); the plate member (120,122) being mounted to one of the first surface and second surface. a fuselage including a plurality of surfaces; at least one engine mounted in the fuselage; a rotor assembly including a rotor shaft and plurality of rotor blades operatively connected to the rotor shaft, the rotor assembly including a plurality of surface portions; a rotor shaft fairing extending between the fuselage and the rotor assembly and about at least a portion of the rotor shaft, the rotor shaft fairing including an outer surface having a leading edge surface portion, a trailing edge surface portion, a first lateral side surface portion extending between the leading edge surface portion and the trailing edge surface portion, a second, opposing lateral side surface portion extending between the leading edge surface portion and the trailing edge surface portion, a first surface facing the fuselage and a second, opposing surface facing away from the fuselage, the rotor shaft fairing further including an intermediate portion defined, at least in part by the leading edge surface portion, trailing edge surface portion and first and second side surface portions (95, 96); characterized in that the rotary wing aircraft further comprises a plate member (120,122) mounted to at least a portion of the rotor shaft fairing, the plate member (120,122) being configured and disposed to increase an aspect ratio of and reduce induced drag on the rotor shaft fairing; the plate member (120,122) projecting proudly of the trailing edge surface portion and at least a portion of each of the first and second lateral side surface portions (95,96); the plate member (120,122) being mounted to one of the first surface and second surface.