Vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle in free space or air, with external surfaces primarily fashioned from planar facets. The planar facets or panels are angularly positioned to reduce scattered energy in the direction of the receiver. In particular, radar signals which strike the vehicle are primarily reflected at an angle away from the search radar or are returned to the receiver with large variations of amplitude over small vehicle attitude changes.

We claim: 
     
       1. A vehicle including flight control means and propulsion means, comprising: a fuselage and wings; and   a plurality of surfaces defining the exterior of said fuselage and wings, said surfaces consisting of a series of facets.   
     
     
       2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein substantially all of said facets lie in a different plane. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein substantially the entire exterior of said vehicle comprises said facets. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said facets are angularly positioned to be least reflective of electromagnetic radiation in the direction of radiation detection devices. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said fuselage and wings include leading and trailing edges having a . .relatively.!. sharp, . .nonrounded.!. .Iadd.non-rounded .Iaddend.configuration. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the leading edges of said fuselage and said wings are joined and continuous, beginning from a forwardmost point of said vehicle. . .7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the exterior of said vehicle consists of a minimum of said facets compatible with defining a 
     
     
        vehicle capable of supporting aerodynamic flight..!.8. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the bottom rearward facet of said vehicle extends beyond the exhaust port of said vehicle to provide electromagnetic and infrared shielding. . .9. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the area of each of said facets is maximized compatible with defining a vehicle capable of 
     
     
        supporting aerodynamic flight..!.10. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said surfaces is treated with a radiation absorbing 
     
     
        material. 11. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein each of said surfaces is treated with a radiation absorbing material to minimize, in combination 
     
     
        with said facets, the reflection of radiation to detection apparatus. 12. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a substantially delta-shaped 
     
     
        planform. 13. A vehicle including flight control means and propulsion means, comprising: a fuselage;   a wing attached to and extending generally laterally outward from either side of said fuselage;   .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.tail . .means.!. attached to and extending generally upward from said fuselage;   said fuselage, wing and .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.tail including a plurality of individually planar external surfaces oriented . .to make said vehicle substantially invisible to tracking.!. .Iadd.with high angles of incidence and edge boundaries which suppress scattered side lobes in the direction of an illuminating radar substantially independent of   
     
     
        azimuth positioning of the illuminating .Iaddend.radar. 14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein all outwardly projecting intersections formed by adjacent ones of said planar surfaces are of . .such.!. a . .relatively.!. sharp, substantially . .nonrounded.!. .Iadd.non-rounded .Iaddend.configuration. 
     
     
          . The vehicle of claim 13 wherein said tail means includes a pair of stabilizers fixed to said fuselage, extending generally upward and 
     
     
        converging inward toward one another. 16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein each of said stabilizers is generally diamond-shaped in cross section. 
     
     
            The vehicle of claim 13 wherein said vehicle further comprises at least one engine air inlet, said inlet having an antiradar reflection grid 
     
     
        incorporated therein. 18. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein said fuselage 
     
     
        has one such air inlet and grid incorporated on either side thereof. 19. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein said vehicle has a planform which is 
     
     
        substantially delta-shaped. 20. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the surfaces of said fuselage converge substantially to a point at the nose 
     
     
        portion thereof. 21. The vehicle of claim . .13.!. .Iadd.14 .Iaddend.wherein selected regions of said surfaces and said intersections are coated with radiation absorbing material to further reduce radiation 
     
     
        reflectivity of said vehicle. .Iadd.22.  A vehicle comprising: a body; and   a plurality of surfaces defining the exterior of said body, said surfaces comprising a series of facets, said surfaces arranged with high angles of incidence and edge boundaries which suppress scattered side lobes in the direction of an illuminating radar. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. A vehicle comprising:   a body; and   a plurality of facets defining the exterior of said body, said facets angularly positioned to be least reflective of electromagnetic radiation in a direction of a source of electromagnetic radiation impinging on said facets with none of said facets arranged at a right angle with respect to another facet. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. A vehicle comprising:   a body; and   said body including a plurality of external surfaces, including individually planar external surfaces, said plurality of external surfaces oriented with high angles of incidence and edge boundaries which suppress scattered side lobes in the direction of an illuminating radar substantially independent of azimuth positioning of the illuminating radar. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. The vehicle according to claims 22, 23 or 24, wherein outwardly protecting intersections formed by adjacent ones of said planar surfaces are of a sharp, substantially non-rounded configuration. .Iaddend..Iadd.26. The vehicle according to claim 25, wherein selected regions of said surfaces and said intersections are coated with a radiation absorbing material to further reduce radiation reflectivity of   
     
     
        said vehicle. .Iaddend..Iadd.27.  The vehicle according to claim 22, wherein said facets are arranged to concentrate energy primarily into a forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.28. The vehicle according to claim 27, comprising: said body having edges exhibiting relatively high radar cross section normal thereto; and   said edges oriented and arranged to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said edges primarily into said forward scatter direction.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.29.  The vehicle according to claim 28, comprising: said edges oriented and arranged so that edges having higher radar cross section values are oriented and arranged in sectors where minimum radar cross section is not required. .Iaddend..Iadd.30. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein said facets are arranged to concentrate energy primarily into a forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.31. The vehicle according to claim 30, comprising:   said body having edges exhibiting relatively high radar cross section normal thereto; and   said edges oriented and arranged to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said edges primarily into said forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.32. The vehicle according to claim 31, comprising:   said edges oriented and arranged so that edges having higher radar cross section values are oriented and arranged in sectors where minimum radar cross section is not required. .Iaddend..Iadd.33. The vehicle according to claim 24, wherein said external surfaces are arranged to concentrate   
     
     
        energy primarily into a forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.34.  The vehicle according to claim 33, comprising: said body having edges exhibiting relatively high radar cross section normal thereto; and   said edges oriented and arranged to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said edges primarily into said forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.35. The vehicle according to claim 34, comprising:   said edges oriented and arranged so that edges having higher radar cross section values are oriented and arranged in sectors where minimum radar cross section is not required. .Iaddend..Iadd.36. A vehicle comprising:   a body; and   a plurality of surfaces defining the exterior of said body, said surfaces arranged to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said surfaces primarily in a direction away from a source of the scattered energy substantially independent of azimuth positioning of said source. .Iaddend..Iadd.37. The vehicle according to claim 36, wherein said plurality of surfaces are arranged to concentrate energy primarily into a forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.38. The vehicle according to claim 37, comprising:   said body having edges exhibiting relatively high radar cross section normal thereto; and   said edges are oriented and arranged to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said edges primarily in said direction away from said source. .Iaddend..Iadd.39. The vehicle according to claim 38, wherein said edges are oriented and arranged to concentrate energy primarily into a forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.40. The vehicle according to claim 39, comprising:   said edges oriented and arranged so that edges having higher radar cross section values are oriented and arranged in sectors where minimum radar   
     
     
        cross section is not required. .Iaddend..Iadd.41.  The vehicle according to claims 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 or 40, wherein outwardly projecting intersections formed by adjacent ones of said surfaces are of a sharp, substantially non-rounded configuration. .Iaddend..Iadd.42. A method of reducing a radar cross section of a vehicle, comprising: producing said vehicle in a form of a body having a plurality of surfaces, including a plurality of facets, defining the exterior of the vehicle; and   arranging said plurality of surfaces with high angles of incidence and edge boundaries which suppress scattered side lobes in a direction of an illuminating radar. .Iaddend..Iadd.43. The method according to claim 42, wherein said arranging step comprises:   arranging said plurality of facets to concentrate energy primarily into a forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.44. The method according to claim 43, wherein said body has edges exhibiting relatively high radar cross section normal thereto, comprising:   orienting and arranging said edges to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said edges primarily into said forward scatter direction.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.45.  The method according to claim 44, wherein step of orienting and arranging said edges comprises: orienting and arranging edges having higher radar cross section values in sectors where minimum radar cross section is not required. .Iaddend..Iadd.46. A method of reducing a radar cross section of a vehicle, comprising:   producing said vehicle in a form of a body having a plurality of facets defining the exterior of the body; and   angularly positioning the facets to be least reflective of electromagnetic radiation in a direction of a source of electromagnetic radiation impinging on said facets with none of said facets arranged at a right angle with respect to another facet. .Iaddend..Iadd.47. The method according to claim 46, wherein said step of angularly positioning the facets comprises:   angularly positioning said facets to concentrate energy primarily into a forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.48. The method according to claim 47, wherein said body has edges exhibiting relatively high radar cross section normal thereto, comprising:   orienting and arranging said edges to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said edges primarily into said forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.49. The method according to claim 48, comprising:   orienting and arranging edges having higher radar cross section values in sectors where minimum radar cross section is not required.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd. 0.  A method of reducing a radar cross section of a vehicle, comprising: producing said vehicle in a form of a body having a plurality of external surfaces, including individually planar external surfaces; and   orienting the plurality of external surfaces with high angles of incidence which suppress scattered side lobes in the direction of an illuminating radar substantially independent of azimuth positioning of the illuminating radar. .Iaddend..Iadd.51. The method according to claim 50, wherein said step of orienting the individually planar external surfaces comprises:   orienting the individually planar surfaces to concentrate energy primarily into a forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.52. The method according to claim 51, wherein said body has edges exhibiting relatively high radar cross section normal thereto, comprising:   orienting and arranging said edges to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said edges primarily into said forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.53. The method according to claim 52, comprising:   orienting and arranging edges having higher radar cross section values in sectors where minimum radar cross section is not required.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd. 4.  A method of reducing a radar cross section of a vehicle, comprising: producing said vehicle in a form of a body having a plurality of surfaces defining the exterior of the vehicle, and   arranging the surfaces to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said surfaces primarily in a direction away from a source of the scattered energy substantially independent of azimuth positioning of said source. .Iaddend..Iadd.55. The method according to claim 54, wherein said step of arranging the surfaces comprises:   arranging said surfaces to concentrate energy primarily into a forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.56. The method according to claim 55, wherein said body has edges exhibiting relatively high radar cross section normal thereto, comprising:   orienting and arranging said edges to concentrate scattered energy reflected off said edges primarily into said forward scatter direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.57. The method according to claim 56, comprising:   orienting and arranging edges having higher radar cross section values in sectors where minimum radar cross section is not required.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd. 8.  The method according to claims 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 or 57, comprising: shaping outwardly projecting intersections formed by adjacent ones of said surfaces to have a sharp, substantially non-rounded configuration. .Iaddend..Iadd.59. The method according to claims 45, 49, 53 or 57, comprising:   coating selected regions of said surfaces and said intersections with a radiation absorbing material to further reduce radiation reflectivity of said vehicle. .Iaddend.