Hidden Antennas

I just purchased a 1946 Belanca for restoration. I want to go with the
hidden antennas (Copper foil tape) under the fabric. Will the results be
the same as the "Plastic (foam & fiberglass) airplanes", or will the
aluminum pigment in the fabric filler coats block the radio waves?
Thank you. Dick Goff

Bellanca was the genesis of the hidden antenna concept. I wrote an article out
of pure theory that antennas could be put inside the wings of the "newfangled"
plastic airplanes back in the mid '70s. I got a call from Bellanca asking me if
my theory would hold for toothpicks and tissue paper airplanes as well.

I allowed as to it MIGHT, but since I didn't have access to a wood wing with
fabric and dope on it, I couldn't tell for sure. So up pulls a truck a month or
so later with a full-size Bellanca wing in it.

We used our antenna pattern range here at Grass Valley Intentional Airpatch to
see if that wing was truly transparent to radio waves. At least in the
frequency band 1-1000 MHz. I can tell you that there was no significant loss
when the test antenna was mounted inside the wing.

CAVEAT: This was for ONE fabric and ONE silver dope manufacturer (and I have no
idea who it was...ask Bellanca). Will it work for other fabrics and other
dopes? Possibly. Probably. But not certainly. How can you be certain? Build
up a dummy wing with YOUR fabric and YOUR dope and test it. Then publish the
results so the world has one more data point from which to hang it's hat.

Jim



(Dick Goff)
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-I just purchased a 1946 Belanca for restoration. I want to go with the
-hidden antennas (Copper foil tape) under the fabric. Will the results be
-the same as the "Plastic (foam & fiberglass) airplanes", or will the
-aluminum pigment in the fabric filler coats block the radio waves?
- Thank you. Dick Goff



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

You might try your tape temporarily on the outside surface of the
fabric first, then check signal stregth at various aspects, if it
works, go ahead and put it inside. These are VHF radios right?

Regards

Jim Weir wrote in message . ..
Bellanca was the genesis of the hidden antenna concept. I wrote an article out
of pure theory that antennas could be put inside the wings of the "newfangled"
plastic airplanes back in the mid '70s. I got a call from Bellanca asking me if
my theory would hold for toothpicks and tissue paper airplanes as well.

I allowed as to it MIGHT, but since I didn't have access to a wood wing with
fabric and dope on it, I couldn't tell for sure. So up pulls a truck a month or
so later with a full-size Bellanca wing in it.

We used our antenna pattern range here at Grass Valley Intentional Airpatch to
see if that wing was truly transparent to radio waves. At least in the
frequency band 1-1000 MHz. I can tell you that there was no significant loss
when the test antenna was mounted inside the wing.

CAVEAT: This was for ONE fabric and ONE silver dope manufacturer (and I have no
idea who it was...ask Bellanca). Will it work for other fabrics and other
dopes? Possibly. Probably. But not certainly. How can you be certain? Build
up a dummy wing with YOUR fabric and YOUR dope and test it. Then publish the
results so the world has one more data point from which to hang it's hat.

Jim



(Dick Goff)
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-I just purchased a 1946 Belanca for restoration. I want to go with the
-hidden antennas (Copper foil tape) under the fabric. Will the results be
-the same as the "Plastic (foam & fiberglass) airplanes", or will the
-aluminum pigment in the fabric filler coats block the radio waves?
- Thank you. Dick Goff



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com