Development of a Miniaturized Broadband Blade Antenna for Aeronautical Applications

Antennas installed on aircraft are used for communications as well as for various radio navigation systems such as direction finders, distance measuring systems, global positioning systems, microwave landing systems and altimeters. These systems use antennas that operate in the L frequency band and have an omnidirectional radiation pattern in the H plane and a vertical polarization. In this study, we propose a new low-profile broadband blade antenna entirely made of aluminum, enclosed in a radome, that meets in particular the radio navigation requirements. It demonstrates an omnidirectional radiation pattern in the H plane, a vertical polarization, a frequency band spanning from 800MHz to 1.22 GHz and a gain of 2.2dBi at 1 GHz. This antenna performance, analyzed on the basis of simulation and measurement results, validates its possible use for Radio Navigation and Aeronautical Communication Systems.