DSC designed and built this low RCS pylon and positioner for use in an indoor chamber. This is a 10 foot high pylon with a positioner that operates from +1 to -46 degrees in the elevation axis and operates with a 1,000 ft-lb moment load and a 1,500 lb payload. This is representitive of several similar systems designed and built by DSC.

DSC replaced a small AZ-only positioner for Lockheed Martin on an existing low-RCS pylon. Both the old and new positioner had a capability to manually set the elevation angle, while the azimuth axis is powered. The new positioner can handle much larger capacities, and can smoothly rotate at speeds that are much faster and much slower that the orgional system.

DSC has designed and built RCS models for various test applications. DSC can provide RCS predictions as well.

DSC has designed and built a number of pylons, both for test models and for use as calibration device supports. This one, when erected stands 50 feet high at a 30 degree forward angle. It has a capacity of 3,000 pounds, and was tested at 10,000 pounds.

This pylon & positioner was designed and built by DSC in 1996. It was retired in 2008 and replaced by a larger capacity system. This positioner was very small for it`s weight capacity of 500 pounds because both the AZ and the EL motors were in the pylon, not the rotator. The pylon is 10 feet tall when raised to the test position.

DSC has produced a number of RCS data processing applications. Near field and far field predictive codes and target / chamber interaction are included in our expertise. The following link is a paper presented by DSC’s VP of engineering Dr. Haisty, to the New York Press Club when he was the Manager of Special Technologies at Lockheed Martin.

This system commenced operation in mid-2002. It is used to load cellular core material for use on stealth vehicles. This system makes 4 foot by 8 foot sheets from 0.3 to 12 inches thick. Cores can be taper loaded in the “T” dimension. This of course, requires that the surface level of the solution remain very constant through the fluid displacement caused by the insertion of the core and the extraction of material. Dipping depth accuracy is within 0.005 inches. The system includes a database that tracks each part by serial number and automatically dips the correct depth on each dip.

This system is used to test electromagnetic reflectivity and transmissivity of loaded core or foam materials. It is used at the same facility as the core loading system. The system has a 100 dB dynamic range and can be used in a diagnostic or QC mode. An integral database stores transmission data after each dip & cure cycle and adds reflection data after the final dip. User selectable acceptance windows for each step allow the part to be validated through the entire build-up process. It has been operational since 2002.

The “Full Scale Pole Model” (FSPM) is used to test the radar cross section (RCS) of the F-22 Raptor. All of the flight control surfaces and engine control surfaces are functional. DSC designed the Remote Control Actuation System (RCAS) for these control surfaces. This allows a “pilot” located a mile and a half away from the aircraft to “fly” it through maneuvers from while the FSPM is mounted on a pylon being tested by a radar system. The system has been operating since 1996.

In 1995 DSC built the antenna positioning system for this test system for the F-117A Nighthawk. It is designed to be deployable with the fleet. The system is a synthetic aperture radar that can generate a 28 foot aperture over a vertical range of 10 feet. The temperature and environmental specifications are such that it can operate anywhere in the world. The antennas when deployed at full height must be able to travel the full 28 foot range in a 26 knot wind while deflecting no more than 0.5mm RMS. The USAF operated several of these systems until the F-117A fleet was retired in 2008.

DSC designs and build custom antenna designs primarily for special RCS test applications. These have included special shapped-beam antenna such as a dual-focii reflector for small spot reflection measurements, and low side lobe diagonal horns. Special arrays for electronic SAR measurements (no physical movement) are also available.

This is a small radar-on-a-cart system so named because of its quasi-monostatic design. It was used during the development of the F-22 for many types of tests. It was also used as a Microwave Thermography system where the transmitter is in the microwave band but the receiver is in the infrared band. Impurities in composite materials could be located with this technique.