Radome for aircraft

• US 4,380,012 A
• Filed: 07/17/1981
• Issued: 04/12/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Yee, James S., Bevan, David, Pruyn, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Application Number:
  US06/284,029
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 343/705, 343/872, 343/854, 343/801, 343/800, 343/798, 343/700 MS
• US Class Current: 343/705
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/428 Collapsible radomes; rotatable, tiltable radomes

Abstract

A non-rotatable radar antenna installation for aircraft for providing 360° azimuthal scanning, which includes a generally triangular radome carried by the aircraft, and three substantially planar radar antennas arranged in a triangular planform within the radome. 360° azimuthal coverage is achieved by the sequential side-to-side scanning of the three antennas. The planform area of the triangular radome and consequently the drag and weight penalty of the radome upon the aircraft is substantially less than equivalent radar antenna installations of circular configuration.

Claims

1. An aircraft radome which comprises:

a housing having approximately triangular-shaped top and bottom walls joined by three side walls of nonconductive material, the housing being connected to the aircraft by at least one support member;

three substantially planar radar antennas disposed within, and affixed to, said housing, the three antennas being arranged in a substantially triangular planform and facing outward respectively toward the three housing side walls, each antenna including a phased array of antenna elements.

2. An aircraft radome, as described in claim 1, which further comprises:

beam forming means for forming a radar beam to be transmitted;

switching means for switching the radar beam to any one of the three antennas; and

scanning means for electronically scanning the radar beam from side-to-side in the antenna connected to transmit the radar beam;

wherein said beam forming, switching, and scanning means are disposed in the radome housing between the three antennas.

3. An aircraft radome, as described in claim 1, wherein the three planar antennas are approximately elliptical in shape.

4. An aircraft radome, as described in claim 3, wherein the three planar antennas are substantially identical.

5. An aircraft radome, as described in claim 1, wherein the three housing side walls are substantially identical, rounded walls.

6. An aircraft radome, as described in claim 1, wherein the housing is symmetrically mounted to the aircraft, with one of the three housing side walls facing in a forward direction and constituting a leading edge of the housing.

7. An aircraft radome, as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one support member is an extendable, retractable member having an extended position at which the housing is spaced from the aircraft and a retracted position at which the housing is disposed against the aircraft.

8. An aircraft radome, as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one support member comprises a plurality of support members.

9. An aircraft radome, as described in claim 1, wherein said antenna elements are printed circuit dipoles.

11. An aircraft radome, as described in claim 1, wherein the housing is symmetrically mounted to the aircraft, with one of the three housing side walls facing in a rearward direction and constituting a trailing edge of the housing.

10. In an aircraft radar system, the combination comprising:

a housing having a planform which approximates an equilateral triangle in shape and including triangular top and bottom walls joined by three side walls to define a housing enclosure therebetween, the three side walls being curved outwardly between the top and bottom walls;

housing support means for mounting the housing to the aircraft;

three identical, substantially planar radar antennas disposed in a substantially triangular planform within the housing and facing outward respectively toward the three housing side walls, each antenna including a phased array of antenna elements.

12. In the radar system as described in claim 10, the combination further comprising:

beam forming means for forming a radar beam to be transmitted;

switching means for switching the radar beam to any one of the three antennas; and

scanning means for electronically scanning the radar beam from side-to-side in the antenna connected to transmit the radar beam;

wherein said beam forming, switching, and scanning means are dispoed in the housing between the three antennas.

13. In the radar system, as described in claim 10, wherein the three substantially planar antennas are approximately elliptical in shape.

14. In the radar system, as described in claim 13, wherein the three substantially planar antennas are substantially identical.

15. In the radar system, as described in claim 10, wherein the three housing side walls are substantially identical, rounded walls.

16. In the radar system, as described in claim 10, wherein the housing is symmetrically mounted to the aircraft, with one of the three housing side walls facing in a forward direction and constituting a leading edge of the housing.

17. In the radar system, as described in claim 10, wherein the housing support means is an extendable, retractable member having an extended position at which the housing is spaced from the aircraft and a retracted position at which the housing is disposed against the aircraft.

18. In the radar system, as described in claim 10, wherein the housing support means comprises a plurality of support members.

19. In the radar system, as described in claim 10, wherein said antenna elements are printed circuit dipoles.

20. In the radar system, as described in claim 10, wherein the housing is symmetrically mounted to the aircraft, with one of the three housing side walls facing in a rearward direction and constituting a trailing edge of the housing.