Message posted by z_z_zzyzx (Member since 11/16/2021) on August 11, 2023 at 21:44:24 PST:
This is really fascinating stuff. I'm an RF and microwave guy (not in aviation), so I'm especially interested to see where this is going. Electronically steerable antennas and patch antennas have been around for quite a while, so the idea of building them as structural components of an airframe is pure genius. The whole point of military aircraft is to get guns, missiles, cameras, and radios up high and fast where they can do some good. The drag, visibility, and fragility of external antennas on fast airplanes has long been a huge problem. It won't be long before full E-3 AWACS functionality is available in a supersonic stealth airframe, if it isn't already.
In Reply to: Conformal Antenna started in 1996. Smart Skin Structure S3(D) posted by Smythers on August 11, 2023 at 10:35:07 PST:
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