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Conformal and Low-Profile Arrays

A number of applications require antenna arrays conforming to a nonplanar surface. Primary among these are requirements for scanning antennas on aircraft or missiles, where aerodynamic drag is reduced for a conformal flush-mounted geometry, and for arrays that conform to surfaces that provide some coverage advantage, for example, to a hemispherical surface for hemispherical-pattern coverage or to a cylinder for 360° coverage in the azimuth plane. Conformal arrays can be grouped into two broad categories that have very different design goals and present significantly different technological challenges. Arrays in the first category are small with respect to the radius of curvature of the conformed body. These proportions are representative of flush-mounted and low-profile aircraft arrays at superhigh-frequency (SHF) frequencies and above. These are relatively flat and behave nearly like planar arrays. The technological challenges in this case are to design an array to scan over very wide angles (for example, zenith to horizon) or to make the array so thin that it can conform to the outer surface of the aircraft without requiring large holes in the fuselage. The second category of conformal arrays is the type more commonly regarded as conformal since the array is comparable or large with respect to the radius of curvature of the mounting body. Such arrays include cylindrical arrays developed to provide radiation from spinning missiles and for 360° coverage of ground-based radars. Conical and spherical arrays have also been developed for ground-based radars, airborne, and missile applications.

conformal antennas, conformal arrays, low-profile arrays

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