Technique for predicting the electromagnetic performance of impedance-loaded dielectric space-frame radome components

A method for predicting the electromagnetic fields scattered from finite length inhomogeneous dielectric cylinders at arbitrary bistatic angles when illuminated with arbitrarily polarised plane waves is described. A computer model is developed and is validated by a series of dual polarisation measurements at X-band using a short slotted-waveguide array antenna in the presence of various near-field scatterers which simulate parts of a typical space-frame radome structure. The model can be used to predict the performance of several complete impedance-loaded dielectric space-frame radomes