Stealthy UAVs make new material demands

Date: 29 Mar 2004

Comments

A DSTL presentation (part of the UK Ministry of Defence), at the Royal Aeronautical Scoiety’s recent UAV Structures conference in London, confirmed that low cost low observable (LO) materials for UAVs call for lower cost fabrication, structures with reduced fasteners, better tolerance control in fabrications for gaps, fitting components etc. and the cost effective sustainment of stealth throughout life.

Multi-spectral stealth (RF and IR) was also a consideration as was the need to install conformal antennae/frequency selective surfaces including IR windows.

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