Understanding Radomes: Typical Materials and Unusual Incidents

Radomes are critical components in many modern aircraft, specifically designed to protect radar antennas and other sensitive equipment from environmental factors while ensuring optimal performance. Typically, radomes are not coated with paint or any other material that might interfere with the transmission or reception of radio frequency (RF) signals. Instead, they are made from radiation-transparent materials that provide a clear path for RF waves and allow for accurate signal transmission and reception.

Historically, radomes have been made from various materials such as fiberglass, plastic, and composite materials. One notable example is the English Electric Lightning, which featured a green-colored fiberglass radome. Despite its attractive color, the Lightning's radome included a stainless steel cone at the pointed nose tip to enhance its structural integrity. This stainless steel cone played a crucial role in maintaining the radome's strength and durability during supersonic flight.

Important Functions of Radomes

Transmission and Reception: Radomes are designed to allow the passage of RF waves, enabling radar systems to transmit and receive signals accurately. Environmental Protection: Radomes act as a watertight barrier, protecting the internal radar equipment from moisture, dust, and other environmental elements. Structural Integrity: The radome is the frontmost part of an aircraft, subjected to significant stress during supersonic flight. Therefore, it must be extremely strong to withstand these forces. Security Measures: In some cases, radomes can serve as a mechanism for smuggling contraband material, hidden within the compartment and undetected by flight crews.

Unusual Incidents with Radomes

One unique incident involving a radome occurred during a return journey from Cyprus to the UK, specifically with Gloster Javelin fighters. Upon opening the radome to address an airborne radar problem, it was discovered that the internal compartment contained a significant amount of contraband material.

The radome of one aircraft had a tight fit with the fuselage and appeared to be stuck, requiring the assistance of two extra crew members to open it. As the radome opened, it released a torrent of goods into the cockpit, including approximately 50 bottles of spirits, 10 million cigarettes, 5 crates of Cypriot beer, 4 boxes of Cypriot wine (each containing 12 bottles), commanderia, 2 handguns, ammunition sufficient for a small war, 3 bayonets, a Turkish flag, and various fruits and foods. The estimated nature of the cargo was due to the fact that some bottles had shattered on impact with the concrete floor upon falling from a height of about 8 feet. Only one bottle remained intact, being used to share a Scotch with the duty crew after the inventory was completed.

The incident had been orchestrated by the ground crew, planning to smuggle the goods back to the UK. When the smugglers’ identities were revealed, the pilots and navigators were understandably incensed, as some of the damaged goods belonged to them. This situation exemplifies the concept of 'plausible deniability.'

Conclusion

The radome played a crucial role in this unusual event, maintaining its structural integrity during the journey from Cyprus to the UK while the goods within were severely traumatized by the movement and the final drop to the concrete. The aircraft's duty crew provided a thorough inventory of the smashed goods, and the intact bottle of Scotch was shared among the team, marking a memorable yet incident-packed mission.

Overall, radomes are essential components in aircraft, designed with a balance of transparency, structural strength, and protection. They may also play an unexpected role in bypassing security measures, as demonstrated in the account of the Gloster Javelins. Understanding the properties and functions of radomes is vital for both technical and historical appreciation.