Ground-Beacon Antennas for Monitor Display System

摘要

The results of a development program directed toward the design of improved ground-beacon antennas for use with an airborne monitor display system are presented. Design goals for the ground-beacon antennas are postulated to provide sufficient energy coverage in the runway approach corridor while minimizing energy in directions easily intercepted by reflecting obstacles. Synthesis technique studies were conducted to permit the calculation of an antenna aperture distribution required to radiate a shaped beam pattern. A synthesized aperture distribution was realized by employing complex slots in the broad face of rectangular waveguides. Experimental measurements verified the antenna design techniques. The improved ground-beacon antenna was realized by utilizing the complex-slotted waveguide array as a feed for a parabolic cylindrical reflector and as the basic element of a planar array. Flight test results established the improvement of these shapedbeam antennas over the previous antennas used as ground beacons. (Author)