04-10-2010, 01:10 PM
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Stealth: The Fight against Radar
Introduction:
Stealth refers to the act of trying to hide or evade detection. It is not so much a technology as a concept that incorporates a broad series of technologies and design features. As a concept, stealth is nothing new, having been invented by the first caveman to cover himself with leaves so that he could sneak up on a dim-witted antelope. Soldiers hid behind trees. Submarines hid under the waves to sneak up on ships, and it was submarines that first used special coatings on their periscopes to avoid radar detection during World War II.
For airplanes, stealth first meant hiding from radar. After World War II, various aircraft designers and strategists recognized the need to design planes that did not have large radar signatures (a radar signature is how big the airplane appears on radar from a specific angle and distance; it is often referred to as the "radar cross section"). But their ability to hide from radar was limited for many years for several reasons. One major limitation was aircraft designers' inability to determine exactly how radar reflected off an airplane.
Stealth: The Fight against Radar
Introduction:
Stealth refers to the act of trying to hide or evade detection. It is not so much a technology as a concept that incorporates a broad series of technologies and design features. As a concept, stealth is nothing new, having been invented by the first caveman to cover himself with leaves so that he could sneak up on a dim-witted antelope. Soldiers hid behind trees. Submarines hid under the waves to sneak up on ships, and it was submarines that first used special coatings on their periscopes to avoid radar detection during World War II.
For airplanes, stealth first meant hiding from radar. After World War II, various aircraft designers and strategists recognized the need to design planes that did not have large radar signatures (a radar signature is how big the airplane appears on radar from a specific angle and distance; it is often referred to as the "radar cross section"). But their ability to hide from radar was limited for many years for several reasons. One major limitation was aircraft designers' inability to determine exactly how radar reflected off an airplane.
