Electrical design of metal space frame radomes

Abstract

Formulation and results are presented of a digital computer program, which analyzes the electrical effects of a metal space frame radome, using a single scattering approximation. Under the assumption of uniform or nearly uniform distribution of space frame elements over the surface of the radome, simple approximate formulas are presented for the same effects. Computed values agree well with measured data. The effects of shaping the element cross section, varying the radome geometry, and varying the frequency have been systematically studied in certain cases. The results are presented here as applications of the theory. The effects of multiple scattering have been measured and also analyzed by an approximate theory so that they are fairly well understood. Formulas for the effects of radome tolerances on electrical performance are given.