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Technical resource
This is an overview of the considerations that come up when an aircraft antenna is installed. It is not a procedure and it is not maintenance data. Antenna installation is carried out by appropriately qualified personnel using the antenna manufacturer's installation instructions together with the approved data applicable to the aircraft.
Antenna location affects pattern, coupling with other antennas and, on many aircraft, structural considerations. Acceptable positions for a given antenna and aircraft are defined by the approved data covering the installation — an STC, type design data, ICA or other applicable approved data — rather than by general practice.
Antennas serving different systems can interfere with one another, and equipment manufacturers frequently publish minimum separation requirements. Where an aircraft already carries several antennas, adding or relocating one is an installation-design question, not a bench decision.
Coax type, routing, bend radius, support and total length all affect the RF path. The equipment installation manual normally states the cable type and the maximum allowable loss; route and terminate to those requirements, and protect the cable from chafe, heat and moisture.
Many antennas depend on electrical bonding to the airframe and on the surrounding skin acting as a ground plane. Bonding requirements, surface preparation and resistance criteria come from the antenna and airframe documentation. Composite structures generally require specific provisions stated by the manufacturer.
External antennas need sealing appropriate to their position to keep moisture out of the airframe and the connection. Use the sealant and method called out in the applicable instructions; the correct materials differ by antenna and by aircraft.
Antenna work is normally accompanied by functional checks and record entries. What checks are required, and by whom, follows from the applicable approved data and regulatory requirements.
Always verify installation requirements against the antenna manufacturer's installation instructions and the approved data applicable to the aircraft.
