Pattern synthesis for a conformal wing array

Future aircraft may utilize the large aerodynamic areas of the wings also for electrodynamics by structurally embedding conformal phased array antennas. We explore this concept with a computer model for a line array wrapped around a wing. The model uses a realistic wing profile and array element patterns which include the effects of mutual coupling and the local radius of curvature. The study has two objectives: 1) develop a pattern synthesis method which is effective for this non-conventional array shape, and 2) determine whether low sidelobe patterns can be realized. We find that pattern synthesis based on alternating projections is a flexible and highly efficient synthesis method. No convergence problems due to local minima occurred. High quality patterns with uniform low sidelobes were achieved for most beam directions, except in a narrow sector about the difficult forward direction, where there appears to be a sidelobe floor of roughly -23 dB.