AİRCRAFT NOSE RADOM

General

While the nose radomes of the aircraft were a part that gave an aerodynamic feature to the
aircraft and protector the radar system, it has become a window for the electromagnetic waves
produced and received by the "Weather Radar" unit for the last 10-15 years.
With the development of Weather Radar over time, the structure of the radomes has been
further developed in order to protect these system units. Good operation of the Windshear
system, which is very expensive systems in passenger aircraft, is directly related to radomes.

The word radom (radome) is derived from the words radar and dome. There is also a
classification of radomes according to their electromagnetic wave permeability. For example:
Class A means 90% efficiency, Class E means 70% efficiency. Although there are different
materials and manufacturing techniques, Airbus and Boeing companies prefer radomes made
of honeycomb (composite product called honeycomb) material. The most important feature of
these is that they pass the radar waves perfectly well.

Damage Detection and Repairs

Radome repairs and checks have become more important today due to the precision of the
navigation systems in aircraft. The main goal of the maintenance activity of the radome is to
protect its electromagnetic feature that it has in design conditions.
As a result of damage to the radomes and their repairs, a noticeable decrease in radar
performance is observed. Radomes are often damaged by bird strikes, lightning hits and hail.
Therefore, radomes should be regularly inspected externally for bird strikes or lightning
damage. The water particles leaking into the material during these damages also cause the
type of damage called delamination of the radome.
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In order to determine whether there are separations between composite layers, Tap-Test (by
hitting with a metal object - usually a metal coin) is applied to determine the problematic area
from sound changes. Another method of detecting stratification caused by moisture is the
Thermoscan technology or the Infrared camera method. In this method, the radome is heated
in an oven, then left to cool. During cooling, defective areas are revealed by detecting
different heat regions by imaging with a camera with the temperature measurement principle.
In addition, the radome interiors are checked for damage and water leaks. A change in
thickness of 0.005 inch (0.127 mm) as a result of repairs made on radomes, which can be seen
as a simple part at first glance, can seriously change the sensitivity of wave propagation and
reception.

Painting of radomes also requires a special attention. If the polyurethane paint is a bit thick, it
will reduce the wave permeability, leading to the radome to be evaluated in 2 class sub-
categories.
Test

No test is foreseen at the end of repairs up to 10 inches from the radar trimline (radome
trailing edge). However, any patch or layer addition requires that the radome be subjected to
electrical testing. Without this test, it is impossible to know how much the repair has affected
the radome permeability. General testing equipment is basically 2 pieces. The first piece; The
C or X band is the receiving antenna part. Second piece; It is the transmitter antenna part
where the radome to be tested is placed. The values of deviations and losses due to repairs are
measured by sending a signal for testing from the radome equipment. What is important here
is that exactly the same conditions are created as if the system was operating on the same
plane.

Result

One of the features of a good radome is that it can discharge "static electricity" through it. It is
the ability of the radome to transfer its anti-static and anti-erosion coating (paint) and the
static electric charge accumulated in flight to the aircraft body without causing any spark or
arc formation.