Shaped Aluminum Panels Do Not Disrupt ILS At The Airport

Airbus, with the support of EADS Innovation Works, has opened the first "stealthy building" at the Toulouse, France Airbus site attached to Blagnac Airport.

EADS and Airbus built the C65 hangar at the airport by equipping the building with specially shaped aluminium panels. These panels prevent the building from disrupting the airport's Instrument Landing System (ILS). For safety reasons, planning permission would not have been granted for the building without these modifications.
 
The large façades of buildings pose a problem for aircraft landing systems, as they reflect incoming radio waves across the runway much like a mirror. Such reflections could cause aircraft to deviate from the runway centerline. For this reason construction is forbidden close to runways unless it can be demonstrated that the building is ‘stealthy’.
 
However, it is not feasible to apply conventional stealth technology to absorb the incoming waves since this would be prohibitively expensive. Instead the solution applied in Toulouse uses the diffraction to redirect the waves away from the runway. This is the same effect that produces the iridescent colors that are visible when holding up a compact disc up to a source of light. By employing ELISE, an advanced ILS simulation tool developed by Airbus Engineering, EADS Innovation Works and the French Civil Aviation University ENAC it was even possible to demonstrate that it would only be necessary to treat the top 30 feet of the building, leading to a less expensive solution.

“The successful completion of this Airbus facility requirement is an example of our commitment to the development of unique technical solutions for our customers and the aerospace industry,” said EADS Chief Technical Officer Jean Botti.
 
Airbus ProSky will now sell this technology assisted by the technical support from EADS Innovation Works. Airbus ProSky CEO Paul-Franck Bijou said that by designing buildings that do not produce reflections, up to 100 square kilometres of non-buildable airport land worldwide could potentially be transformed into space available for construction. Structurs could include terminal buildings and maintenance hangars He said building outside airport boundaries, like exhibitions centers, hotels and multi story parking garages could also benefit from the technology.

(Image provided by EADS)

FMI: www.eads.com