In article ,
(B2431) wrote:


Date: 1/1/2004 1:04 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:


On 31-Dec-2003, Jim Weir wrote:

Putting a GPS antenna UNDER a small bowl-shaped carbon fiber radome
immediately
killed any GPS signal into a 27 dB gain active antenna INCLUDING
satellites that
were directly overhead.


Yes, carbon fiber is an excellent RF absorber, particularly at GPS
frequencies.

--
-Elliott Drucker


How about at radar frequencies? Does this mean a carbon aircraft are less
visible to radar?

Dan, U. S. Air Force, retired

Nope -- carbon fiber is a conductor and behaves similarly to metal --
especially if you have parts of .25 wavelength. Remember -- Edison's
first light bulbs had graphite filaments.

Do not let carbon parts touch aluminum, as the aluminum will corrode
from electrolytic action. A carbon fiber plane will act as a ground
plane for antennae, too -- as long as you have good electrical contact
with the fibers.