Application for smart skin technologies to the development of a conformal antenna installation in the vertical tail of a military aircraft

摘要

Abstract: Recent developments in smart skins technology atNorthrop Grumman have paved the way towardincorporating avionics communication functions,previously provided by blade antennas, into thevertical tail of a military aircraft. Radio frequencycommunication link ranges can be significantly improvedby structurally integrating the antenna radiatingelement into the tail region. Excitation of the largevertical tail surface improves radiation efficiency inthe VHF-FM, VHF-AM, and UHF frequency bands. Analysisshows use of the whole tail region as an antenna wouldprovide the best gain and coverage, however, confiningthe antenna design to the end cap region alone, alsosignificantly enhances performance compared to bladeinstallations. Near term technology applications toretrofit aircraft with minimum perturbations to theexisting tail design are therefore possible.Multidisciplinary aspects of the application approachare discussed under the subheadings (1) antenna design,(2) structures and materials, (3) manufacturing, and(4) weight assessment along with the resolution of keytechnical road blocks. Finally, recommendations forfurther work necessary to transition the application toa production aircraft are discussed.!8