Novel Inhomogeneous Planar Layer Radome Design for Airborne Applications

In airborne radome applications, monolithic half-wave wall configuration is generally used to provide superior electromagnetic (EM) performance at the design frequency. However, the application of a monolithic half-wave wall is limited due to its very narrow bandwidth. In order to circumvent this problem, inhomogeneous planar layer (IPL) with exponential variation of complex permittivity is proposed here for the design of a radome wall. As compared to the conventional monolithic half-wave radome of identical thickness, the IPL-based radome wall offers superior EM performance both at the normal and high incidence angles. The EM performance analysis shows that the IPL wall configuration is a better choice for designing both the normal-incidence and the highly streamlined airborne nosecone radomes.