TOYON RESEARCH CORPORATION — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF181-053
TOYON RESEARCH CORPORATION — SBIR Phase I award from Department of Defense.
- Amount
- $150,000
- Agency
- Department of Defense · Air Force
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase I
- Topic
- AF181-053
- Solicitation
- 2018.1
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- CA
- Period
- 2018-07-31 → 2019-07-31
Description
Toyon Research Corporation proposes to design, manufacture, and test a compact 1002000 MHz Zonal Imaging Demonstrator Prototype Antenna (ZIDPA) that leverages the dual-polarized 45900 MHz calibration/verification antenna developed for the USAFs National Radar Cross Section Test Facility (NRTF) in early 2017. The ZIDPA antenna will measure 1 deep, 2 wide, and 4 long, and weigh under 140 lbs. The ZIDPA also offers high directivity, a constant phase-center across frequency, low time-domain ringing, smooth main beam patterns, gain that increases monotonically with frequency, low backlobe and sidelobe levels, and a 95% volume reduction over a 1001100 MHz dual-ridged horn. Its compact size and reduced weight make it logistically friendly to transport and image underside aircraft features - including bomb bay door seals. Development of the ZIDPA provides the USAF with a method to reduce Phase II design risk for a compact UHF/VHF antenna that is intended for use by 5-Level maintainers.