Nose Radome Design

[crazy_panda]

Can anyone let me know why there is a metal cap at the tip of the Nose Radome (Nose cone) in most 4th and 5th gen fighters? Also how is it mounted to the Fiberglass Nose? Attached Picture for reference.

 

[Trident]

Erosion protection, I suspect. In MDD-heritage aircraft there is typically a simple screw in the tip, IIRC. In others it might be resin-bonded? I doubt the entire light area on the left photo is metallic though - the impact on radar performance would be extremely onerous.

The Su-57 has a synthetic fiber cap, and I expect other LO aircraft will use a non-metallic solution as well.

 

[riggerrob]

does the metal cap absorb lightning strikes?

 

[Trident]

Yes, that may also play a role in designs without protection strips (such as the Hornet). Good point!

 

[publiusr]

You don’t want it hitting the electronics.

Does a radome have to go in the nose?
When I saw the 747 airborne laser…I thought that maybe parts of it could be put in place of the “aft nacelle” of a tri-jet. A dome there has the whole tail fin as a lightning rod…and maybe a similar arrangement allows only the pitot in the actual nose of your aircraft. Just a thought.

 

[crazy_panda]

does the metal cap absorb lightning strikes?

I'm not sure. Because the radome still has the diverting stripes and the cap is not connected to the metal structure. So how do they make a path for the lightning strike? Also what kind of adhesives would work between metal and composites on such high pressures and temperatures?