AccScience Publishing / DP / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/DP026010001
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ARTICLE

Preliminary configuration and integrated examination of a glider in terms of radar cross-section and remote-sensing characteristics

Zeyang Zhou1* ,  Jun Huang1
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1 Department of Aircraft Design, School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
DP, 026010001 https://doi.org/10.36922/DP026010001
Received: 4 January 2026 | Revised: 25 February 2026 | Accepted: 28 February 2026 | Published online: 26 March 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

With advances in aircraft design and the application of new energy batteries, gliders with long endurance and good concealment may adversely affect regional safety and low-altitude activities. To study the radar cross-section (RCS) and remote sensing features of the glider, an integrated examination based on electromagnetic scattering assessment and remote sensing imaging is presented. The glider model was preliminarily designed, and the relevant RCS and remote-sensing grayscale were analyzed. The results showed that under the given conditions, the glider’s peak RCS reached 25.3957 dBm2, with the fuselage providing the main scattering contribution. The top surface of the fuselage also appeared light gray in remote-sensing images. The average RCS index of the glider increased by 0.7849 dBm2 with the increase of the elevation angle within the given range. The wedge-shaped fuselage top created a contrast between light gray and gray on the surfaces on both sides of the body’s symmetrical plane in the remote-sensing grayscale image. The grayscale features of the wings, wingtips, fuselage, and tail of the glider can be distinguished, and the orientation of the nose can be determined. In the grayscale image of the glider formation, the visualization of the rear fuselage beam was weakened, and the backward diffusion queue might appear visually complex, while it followed a mathematically predictable sinusoidal pattern. The established approach is effective for analyzing the RCS and remote-sensing characteristics of the glider.

Keywords
Gliding aircraft
Comprehensive analysis
Electromagnetic scattering
Formation flying
Remote-sensing observation
Funding
This research was funded by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No.: BX20200035, 2020M680005).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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