MikeMl wrote:
Jon wrote:
I would like to put internal nav and comm antennas in a series 5
kitfox, which has a welded tube frame. Could reasonable performance
be obtain with elements on the inside surface of the fabric, but out
side the frame? Seems to me this is essentially mounting the antenna
very close to a so-so ground plane. How much loss and alteration of
the radiation pattern is likely? Would the situation improve by
minimzing runs parallel to the frame tubes?

Thanks!

Jon

Jon,

fact of life is that an antenna needs to approximate a dipole half a
wavelength long. You can cheat, and leave off half the dipole, and use
the aircraft structure as the other half dipole, however, that implies
that the 1/4 wavelength monopole is mounted PERPENDICULAR to the
airframe; not PARALLEL to it. I'm with Jim...

btw-on a less than 120MPH airplane, why bother trying to hide it?