Small slot design for slotted waveguide antenna stiffened structure

The slotted waveguide antenna stiffened structure (SWASS) is a conformal load bearing antenna concept that aims to replace existing aircraft antennas with a structurally integrated equivalent. In SWASS, slots are cut through the skin of hat-stiffened or blade-stiffened aircraft panels to create slotted waveguide antennas. The structural integrity of these panels is at maximum when the slot dimensions are minimised. An architecture that retains the slotted waveguide antenna performance while minimising the slot dimension by means of a single well placed wire element is demonstrated.