A REVIEW OF HIGH-FREQUENCY RADAR CROSS-SECTION ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES AT MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS-AEROSPACE

Two basic types of physical-optics (PO)-based Radar Cross Section (RCS ) analysis codes have come to maturity in today's high-frequency(1) el ectromagnetic-analysis environment. These are facet-based and curved-s urface-based codes. The implementations have become quite sophisticate d, reaching for every possible improvement in performance needed for l arge production runs. Facet codes have very fast analysis rates, while curved-surface codes are usually considered more accurate. At McDonne ll Douglas Aerospace (MDA), the need for very reliable RCS results to guide the aircraft-design process has led us to develop a curved-surfa ce-based high-frequency code. This code, called CADDSCAT (Computer-Aid ed-Design Drafting SCATtering), has matured to a high level of sophist ication. With various modifications, CADDSCAT has been used at MDA in advanced design since 1987. CADDSCAT was adopted as a basis code, in 1 992, by the Navy-sponsored Conceptual Aircraft Design Working Group (C ADWG). This multi-service group includes the Naval Air Warfare Center- Aircraft Division, Warminster, PA; the Naval Maritime Intelligence Cen ter; the Naval Research Laboratories; and the US Army at Ft. Eustis. C ADDSCAT has also been used by NASA Ames, Naval Air Warfare Center-Weap ons Division at China Lake, CA, DIA/MSIC at Redstone Arsenal, FASTC an d Wright Laboratories. CADDSCAT has been used by General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman on programs where teaming agreements exist.