On Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 5:47:39 PM UTC-5, Bob Hills wrote:
Thinking totally outside the box here and open to ridicule :).....

Blade antennas are similar in shape and size to a winglet. Why not incorporate the antenna in that? I know it would mean an electrical connection from tip to fuselage but that is not insurmountable.

Just a thought for someone to expound upon.

Bob 7U

I think you could do that, but there are a couple challenges

1. RF cable is heavy and significantly affects the signal. On sailboats, it's suspected that a stern-rail mounted VHF radio antenna actually performs better than a masthead mounted antenna. So sending it 5-10m to the wingtip instead of keeping it close to the TX unit could noticeably decrease range.
2. Even when in perfect shape, RF connectors are a big source of energy loss, which further reduces range.
3. The connector would have to be properly connected/disconnected every time the plane is pulled out of its trailer. A powerful RF transmitter which is disconnected from an antenna can actually destroy itself, so the consequences of a forgotten connection are not necessarily limited to only being invisible that day.