Antenna pattern measurement with UAVs: Modeling of the test source

This paper deals with the electromagnetic modeling of a dipole antenna mounted on a micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Such a setup has been recently used as a test source to characterize the radiation pattern of fairly large VHF and UHF antennas in their installation conditions i.e. on the ground, with adjacent elements. In this framework, an accurate modeling of the test source is fundamental to distinguish properly its radiation characteristics from those of the antenna under test. The computed results are verified with both reflection coefficient and pattern measurements showing a very good agreement.