Z-folding aircraft electromagnetic scattering analysis based on hybrid grid matrix transformation.

To study the electromagnetic scattering characteristics of a morphing aircraft with Z-folding wings, a method of hybrid grid matrix transformation (HGMT) is presented. The radar cross-section (RCS) of the aircraft in the four Z-folding modes is calculated and analyzed. When considering the deflection of the outer wing separately, the RCS of the wing under the head and side azimuth shows obvious dynamic characteristics, while the peak and fluctuation range are quite different. When the mid wing and the outer wing are deflected upwards together, the RCS of the aircraft under the positive side direction could be significantly reduced. When the mid wing deflects upward and the outer wing remains level, the peak of the side RCS of the aircraft is slightly reduced. When the mid wing deflects upwards and the outer wing deflects downwards, this peak indicator is further reduced, while the local fluctuation of the side RCS of the aircraft is increased. The HGMT method is effective to study the electromagnetic scattering characteristics of the Z-folding aircraft.