Xref: utzoo sci.electronics:2369 rec.autos:7479
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!amdcad!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!bbn!rochester!ur-tut!aptr
From: aptr@ur-tut.UUCP (The Wumpus)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,rec.autos
Subject: Re: Robocop spotted (Photo radar enforcement)
Message-ID: <1056@ur-tut.UUCP>
Date: 28 Feb 88 19:27:34 GMT
References: <418@flatline.UUCP> <1285@alliant.Alliant.COM> <3541@cup.portal.com>
Reply-To: aptr@tut.cc.rochester.edu.UUCP (The Wumpus)
Organization: Univ. of Rochester Computing Center
Lines: 40

In article <3541@cup.portal.com> Jinfu@cup.portal.com writes:
>Erict@flatline.UUCP (eric townsend) writes:
>>Well... It was explained to me that older corvettes are more immune
>>from all radar because of their angled radiator design...  Dunno
>We all know that DoD invests tons of money in developing special 
>materials for aircraft surface to reduce reflection of radar. I wonder
>if there will be some sort of spin-off product for civilian applicaion,
>such as low-reflection pain for cars. I hope I am not day dreaming.

I actually thought about how to make a car radar "invisible" a few
months back.  The trick is not to use any of the fancy fiber-glass or
plastic panels, but to use thin metal, probably titanium or aluminum.
Instead of trying to make the car so that it does not reflect any
radar, make it so that it reflects the radar away from the source.

The car would probably have a long slanting hood (approx 30%) and
never have any part of the front perpendicular to the road.  For added
protection, it might be a good idea to put some radar absorbing foam
behind the metal body panels to make sure any radar that gets past the
panels is not reflected back to the source.  The windshield should be
impregnated or coated with some metal.  Maybe the transparent aluminum
that is being used by one of the big three for defrosting the window
should be used.

Of course, a radar detector mounted outside of the body is nessicary.
The car is designed to be invisible from the front, affording the
driver enough time to slow down to a legal speed before the more
visible tail of the car can be clocked.

Unfortunately, if you start thinking about what a car that reflects
all the radar away from the source would look like, you come up with a
car that could easily be pulled over because it looks too fast.  "You
may not be speeding, but who is going to beleive you weren't speeding
in _this_ car?"

-- 
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