Experimental evaluation of two Ku-band conformal arrays

Two different conformal arrays for the frequency band 16 - 18 GHz have been built, mounted on an UAV nose mock-up, and evaluated experimentally. One array is facetted with five planar subarrays of 7?7 antenna elements each and the other is smoothly curved with 35?7 antenna elements. Both arrays have identical probe fed microstrip elements. Patterns of selected antenna elements have been measured and analyzed. Both systematic and a random-like variations can be seen. Since most of the elements in the smoothly curved array are in a more similar environment they show slightly higher pattern quality but the pattern quality of both arrays is considered adequate to produce good total array patterns. The measured element patterns have also been used in a visualization tool to form complete array patterns.