Design of the hybrid composite face with electromagnetic wave transmission characteristics of low-observable radomes

Abstract

The faces of low-observable radomes constructed with sandwich structures are usually made of glass fiber or aramid fiber composites due to their high specific strength and compatibility of stealth characteristics. In this work, a hybrid composite face composed of both E-glass/epoxy and aramid/epoxy composites for low-observable radomes was designed to exploit the better characteristics of both composites. Three design methods, including the characteristic medium thickness, the wavenumber and the dielectric wavelength methods, were applied to satisfy the functional requirements of composite faces. The three design methods were evaluated via three-dimensional (3-D) electromagnetic wave transmission analysis and the free space measurement method. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.