Antenna radiation modeling for microwave landing system

Geometric optics and diffraction techniques are used to develop radiation models of antennas mounted on an aircraft structure. Measurements at 35 GHz on a 1/35 scale model space shuttle and 1/11 scale Boeing 737 are used for comparison with computed patterns and are in very good agreement. Radiation coverage in the elevation plane on full scale Boeing 737 and Boeing 747 at 5.1 GHz, as applied to the microwave landing system (MLS), is examined for vertically- and horizontally-polarized antennas mounted at different locations on the aircraft.