A Magnetic Radio Compass Antenna Having Zero Drag

The use of high speed aircraft has accentuated the requirements for low drag antennas and has made the precipitation static problem much more severe. A radically new loop design using ferrite materials makes it possible to exceed the performance of the present external loop antenna in a submerged magnetic antenna that has zero drag. Among its important characteristics are lower weight, less mechanism, and rejection of precipitation static interference as well as reduction of the drag to zero. The antenna consists of a small ferrite-core goniometer with four radial collector bars of the same material. The design includes a novel quadrantal error compensating scheme in which the loop is compensated by attaching selected end pieces to the collector bars.