Abstract: The invention provides a novel hardwall fan case for encasing the radial periphery of a forward fan in a gas turbine engine. The fan case includes a rigid annular fan case shell spaced a selected radial distance from the tips of the fan blades, thus defining an annular internal air path surface of the fan case. The shell has a rigid hardwall fore section generally parallel to the blade tips and coated with a fore layer of abradable material. The fore section serves as a hardwall to limit the radial movement of fan blades deflecting under bird strike conditions and thereby to control the erosion of fan case linings. Limiting the radial blade deflection thus maintains the resulting fan tip clearance within acceptable limits. Uncontrolled or excessive erosion of fan case linings during bird strike conditions has in the past led to potentially catastrophic engine surge conditions where highly aerodynamically loaded fans are used that are very sensitive to enlarged tip clearances.