Raytheon Company

Mike Mehen

Mark E Kusbel

Gary M Salvail

Gary Salvall

A hood is provided for verifying the performance of the missile. The hood includes one or more sense antennas having the same polarization as the antennas within the missile to be tested. The hood further includes one or more elliptic-to-circular polarization converters designed to reduce the axial ratio of the signal received from the missile. The elliptic-to-circular polarization converters convert the signal from the missile to a substantially pure circular polarized signal which is then sensed by the sense antennas.

Elliptic to circular polarization converter and test apparatus incorporating the same for accommodating large axial ratio

A super thin, cavity free spiral antenna includes a radiating element having a first spiral arm and a second spiral arm formed on a front surface of a first dielectric substrate. In addition, the antenna includes a resonant ground plane formed on a back surface of the first dielectric substrate. From the perspective of the radiating element, the resonant ground plane appears as a back ground plane which is further away from the radiating element than in actuality. As a result, operation in the microstrip mode is provided even without a cavity.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Mike Mehen