High Frequency Aircraft Wire Antenna

This invention relates generally to radiators of electromagnetic energy and more particularly to loop antennas which utilize a portion of the support structure for a return path for RF current.

Wire antennas for use on military aircraft for air-to-ground communications in the 2 to 30 MHz band is known. Because of limited space the electric length of the conductor of such antennas is only a small fraction of a wavelength. In order to transform the high input impedance of its relatively short length wire to a nominal value of, for example 50 ohms a tuning unit consisting of one or more capacitors is required to be connected between the wire and the radio apparatus. The zig-zag wire antenna currently in use on helicopters is representative of this type of antenna system. The zig-zag configuration is intended to lower the impedance at the input end of the wire in order to reduce the losses in the tuning unit. The electrical performance of this configuration, however, is compromised by the added shunt capacitance between the wire and the aircraft body.

One known attempt to overcome this problem has been disclosed by Cincinnati Electronics in its Model AA-20HF train line antenna which comprises a radiator directly connected at its far end to the aircraft body.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a helicopter type aircraft including the subject invention;

FIG. 2 is an electrical schematic diagram directed to the improvement taught by the subject invention;

FIG. 3 is an electrical schematic diagram illustrative of one form of the subject invention; and

FIG. 4 is an electrical schematic diagram illustrative of a second form of the subject invention.

Briefly, the subject invention is directed to improved aircraft antenna for operation in the HF frequency range (2-30 MHz) comprising an antenna conductor of predetermined short length with respect to the operating wavelength, mounted on the outside either above or below the aircraft by means of dielectric supports. One end of the loop antenna conductor is coupled inside the aircraft to its associated radio apparatus in the forward portion of the aircraft while the opposite end is series connected to a lumped electrical inductance of predetermined value which has its remote end connected to the metallic skin of the aft portion of the aircraft. The metallic skin acts as the return path for the RF current. The lumped inductance, furthermore, includes means for having its inductance value selectively varied in order to substantially series resonate the antenna at its particular operating frequency with capacitance of the feedpoint.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 designates a helicopter type of aircraft having a metallic outer surface or skin 12. A wire conductor antenna element 14 extends from a feedthrough insulator and 18 inch stand-off assembly 16 located on the fuselage section 18 for coupling to radio communications apparatus, not shown, located inside the aircraft and being operable in the 2 to 30 MHz frequency band. The wire antenna 14 is of a predetermined length typically 15 feet, and is shown in FIG. 1 extending the length of the tail section 19 to the vertical stabilizer section 20. The end of the conductor wire 14 at the stabilizer end couples to an inductance assembly 22 which is located typically 3 feet up on the stabilizer section. The inductance assembly is shown schematically in FIG. 2. While the wire loop antenna 14 extends a substantial portion of the total length of the helicopter type of aircraft 10, the electrical length of the antenna 14 is nevertheless still only a small fraction of the operational wavelength of the HF frequency band of the radio communications apparatus inside the fuselage 18.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the antenna conductor 14 series connects to a variable inductor 24 which has its other end connected to the metallic skin 12 of the aircraft which is shown in FIG. 2 by the connection 26. The inductor 24 comprises a variable lumped inductor element which, except for its ground connection to the surface of the aircraft via the metal skin 12, is mounted for example on a pair of insulator stand-off elements 28 and 30 secured to the skin of the aircraft 12. In order to protect the inductor element 24, reference numeral 32 is intended to designate an aerodynamic radome or a protective cover of any desired type including an electrical feedthrough 34 which permits the wire antenna 14 to couple to the inductor 24 at the connection 36. Whereas in prior art antenna systems of the type disclosed the antenna terminates directly in the skin of the aircraft, the inclusion of the series inductance 24 at the grounded end of the antenna provides operational results heretofore unobtainable in a loop type of antenna where the metallic skin of the aircraft provides the return path for the RF current.

As shown schematically in FIG. 3, the wire antenna and the series inductor 24 are coupled to radio communications apparatus such as a transceiver 38 by means of a matching network 40 consisting of one or more RF capacitors used for transforming the relatively high input inpedance of the electrically short wire to the output impedance, nominally 50 ohms, of the transceiver apparatus 38. By the inclusion of the series inductance 24 a near series resonance condition is achievable by selective variation of the inductance value and accordingly the inductive reactance. Since the antenna conductor wire 14 is of itself a small inductance, the lumped inductance 24 is the primary element which series resonates with the tuning capacitor for the matching network 40 and any distributed capacitance. Ordinarily when the far end of the antenna is grounded as in the prior art, an extremely high voltage exists at the feed end of the antenna; however, the near resonance condition achieved by the inductance 24 substantially reduces the RF voltage at the feed end of the antenna, consequently, a tuning capacitor with a lower voltage rating can be used. In substance, the wire loop antenna 14 becomes current fed with the resulting advantage that the power handling capability is measurably increased.

Since the value of the inductance 24 must be selected in accordance with the operating frequency of the transceiver for optimum operation, FIG. 4 is intended to show that, when desirable, the inductance 24 may be remotely controlled by means of an electrical mechanical servo-subsystem 42 coupled to the movable contact 44, which is adapted to be moved to one of the multiple taps 46 on the inductor. By means of the control circuitry being located in the vicinity of the transceiver apparatus 38, the operator can selectively vary the inductor 24 through the servo-subsystem and accordingly fine tune the antenna for each operating frequency over the 2-30 MHz band which is particularly adapted for military aircraft communications.

Thus what has been shown is an improved HF antenna for aircraft which is adapted to minimize the distributed shunt capacitance of the antenna wire due to its separation away from the aircraft body while at the same time providing a low input impedance at the feedpoint end in order to reduce tuner losses. Stored-energy losses are also reduced providing an increase in efficiency at the low end of the frequency band. The reduced stored-energy losses accordingly lower the Q of the antenna which is accompanied by an increase in bandwidth. The resulting low impedance and lower Q of the antenna consequently reduce the amplitude modulation effect produced by the primary rotor blades of a helicopter. When desirable, the same type of antenna however can be configured on a fixed wing aircraft with minor modifications well known to those skilled in the art.