Advanced Aircraft Electronics, Inc.
Aircraft Antennas

Overview
AAE now offers an antenna set for your aircraft that will surpass all other antennas .  These antennas have better gain (this means your transmission range and receive sensitivity are superior) and better impedance match (this means your signal has no distortion) than any other antenna. Advanced Aircraft Electronics Inc. (AAE) offers a series of aircraft antennas specifically designed to be used without a ground plane.  This means that composite aircraft and fabric covered aircraft can now have their antennas mounted totally within the structure.

About the Products
These antennas are designed using the latest engineering technology.  Laboratory measurements show them to have better electrical characteristics than currently available products.  The unanimous reports from pilots who have been using them confirm that they outperform everything now available on the market.

Antenna Uses and Aircraft Compatibility
NO Ground Plane . . . 
These antennas are designed to operate with the modern radios that are installed in today's composite airframes. Just bond them in and connect the coax cable, don't use a ground plane. Seal them into the structure, they last the life of the airframe. One antenna model works for communication, navigation, and for ELT (Three antennas in the aircraft, but all the same design), and this design is tolerant to installation errors. They will work in metal airframes when a plastic or fiberglass wing tip or similar plastic component has been available to provide the mounting structure.

Product Details and Important Features

• Inside mounting
• Use with composite skins
• Use with fabric covered airframes
• Glue or bond to the airframe
• Light weight
• Wide service temperature
• No ground plane corrosion
• Mount anywhere inside
• Maximum range with low VSWR
• Model VHF series designed for comm or nav or ELT
• Adapts to existing airframes or to in process construction
• Lifetime guarantee (we will repair or replace the original owner's antenna)

Available Models
The L2 antenna is for use with transponders.  The 5T and 5I are designed for use with aviation radio and navigation frequencies of 118 to 136 MHz.

The VHF antennas, 5T and 5I, differ only in the location of the BNC connection. The 5T is configured to allow the coax cable to be routed flat along the mounting surface of the airframe. This antenna model would be appropriate for a composite aircraft where the antenna would be mounted in the fuselage or fin and the coax would be close to the skin and be attached periodically for strain relief. In either case, the antenna can be used as a retrofit on in service aircraft or in new installations.

The 5I series has the BNC connection positioned so that the coax cable would route out and away from the antenna mounting surface. This configuration is offered for antenna installations such as wing tips of fabric aircraft. If the antenna is mounted on the inside of the tip, the coax route is directly inward toward the wing root and the BNC connection is located near the spar to provide support for the cable.

Both antennas are identical in their electrical performance.

Installation Information
This antenna is ideal for use in the vertical fin of a fiberglass sailplane or in the fuselage of a wood or steel tube and fabric glider.  Note that they are designed to be oriented vertically (standing up) - not horizontally (laying down).  Modern carbon fiber sailplanes are designed to accommodate antennas in the vertical fin.  The fin is specifically built using fiberglass rather than carbon fiber for that reason.  They also work great in restorations of antique and classic aircraft when you don't want an exposed whip antenna.  These antennas will not work in metal aircraft.

Fabric airframes can use this antenna in either the fuselage or the wing. Silver dope is not a problem with this antenna, however, attention must be given to the attachment of the antenna to the airframe to optimize performance. In a wing installation, attachment to a wooden rib or wooden spar is a must. In the fuselage, behind the seats in the tail cone is best. Here it is best to keep the antenna away from the metal structure.

Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ