Radome polarization error compensation

An apparatus for improving the directional accuracy of a tracking and guidance system having an antenna equipped with a scanning mechanism including sensors to provide antenna position data and electronics for transmitting RF frequency signals to and receiving signals from said antenna as target tracking data, for changing the directional course of the system to a desired direction, the improvement comprising:

• means for defining a tapered wall in a streamline radome which gradually increases in thickness from base to tip,
• said antenna being disposed within said radome for transmitting and receiving said signals through said radome,
• means for translating said antenna position data and said antenna tracking data into digital pulses,
• a microprocessor for receiving said digitized antenna position data and tracking data,
• means for transmitting digitized frequency data to said microprocessor whereby the microprocessor processes said digitized position data, tracking data, and frequency data into compensated tracking data eliminating boresight error caused by said radome.

A radome of dielectric material for an airborne vehicle having an antenna which impinges RF energy on said radome during transmission and recovery of said RF energy, comprising:

• a streamline shaped dielectric material open at the base and closed at the tip,
• the wall material defining the radome being thinner at said base and gradually increasing in thickness to said tip as defined by the following formula:
• D = n ⁢ ⁢ λ 2 ⁢ ε R - sin ⁢ ⁢ ⅇ 2 ⁢ θ
• where
• D=thickness of radome wall
• λ=wavelength
• R=dielectric constant
• θ=angle of incidence of RF energy impinging on the radome wall
• n=1,2,3, . . .

A tracking and guidance system having an antenna equipped with a scanning mechanism including sensors to provide antenna position data and electronics for transmitting and/or receiving RF signals as target tracking data for changing the course of a vehicle to a desired direction, the improvement for making the directional data more accurate, comprising:

• a streamlined radome enclosing said antenna and through which said signals are transmitted and/or received, said streamlined radome having tapered walls which are thinnest at the base and thickest at the tip of said radome,
• means for translating said antenna position data and said target tracking data into digitized signals for delivery to said system,
• memory means for containing information regarding the boresight error characteristics of said radome,
• means for receiving the frequency at which said antenna is sending and/or receiving said signals, and
• means for defining the boresight error of said radome at the frequency and position at which said antenna is operating, and sending a compensated tracking signal to said tracking and guidance system.