ThinAir Falcon-Ku3030

Uniquely Enabling Commercial Air Transport Connectivity with 3x-12x More Throughput at 2x-10x the Efficiency, 1/2 the Size and 1/3 the Aerodynamic Drag

ThinKom’s agile, ultra-low-profile, high-efficiency ThinAir® Falcon-Ku3030 antenna provides high throughput (up to 90 Mbps Downlink and 15 Mbps Uplink) and with maximally efficient use of transponder bandwidth (1.5-3 bits/Hz). Our very low profile antenna design enables a similarly low profile, conformal radome which reduces fuel costs related to drag by up to 80% and provides flexibility for installation on Regional, Single-aisle and Twin-aisle aircraft.

The superior high skew angle and low latitude performance also improves fleet flexibility in equatorial regions.

The ThinAir® Falcon-Ku3030 offers the highest efficiency Ku-band solution to meet Commercial Air Transport’s “big pipe” demand for broadband in-flight connectivity. 

General Information (Antenna)
Swept Volume Dimensions: 74”L x 35”W x 4.0”H
(188cm x 89cm x 10cm)
Transmit Band: 13.75-14.50 GHz
Receive Band: 10.70-12.75 GHz
G/T: 15 to 18 dB/K (12 dB/K at 20° Elev)
EIRP: 51 to 54 dBW (49 dBW at 20° Elev, 40W BUC)
Transmit Power Spectral Density: (per 47 CFR 25.226)
17 to 18 dBW/4 kHz at High Latitudes (to 65° N/S)
16 to 18 dBW/4 kHz PSD over CONUS (83W to 118W)
15 to 18 dBW/4 kHz PSD over Equator (Longitude +/- 35°)
Geo-Plane Beamwidth (Typ): 1.85° Transmit & 2.15° Receive
(24”H x 36”W Elliptical Dish equivalent)
Geo-Plane Patterns (Typ): First Sidelobe -22 dB
Polarization: Tracking Linear (Co-Pol or Orthogonal-Pol)
X-pol Isolation: 30 dB Typical

Tracking
Azimuth Coverage: 360° continuous
Elevation Coverage: (+10°) +15° to +85°
Agility (ARINC 429 NAV): >100°/sec, >100°/sec2
Tracking Accuracy: < 0.2°

Environmental
Operational Temperature: -55°C to +74°C external
Environmental Compatibility: RTCA/DO-160G & MIL-STD-810G

Performance
(Dependent on Modem, Waveform & Bandwidth)
Data Rate (Forward Link/Receive): 65 to 90 Mbps
Data Rate (Return Link/Transmit): 8 to 15 Mbps

Advantages and Benefits
(relative to high profile radome antennas)
• $40k-$125k fuel savings per aircraft per year – reduced drag enabled by low profile
• Deflector can be reinforced for bird strike w/o affecting RF performance
• Superior equatorial performance (high skew angle operation)
• Supports 2x to 3x higher Forward Link (Receive) data rates
• Supports 4x to 6x higher Return Link (Transmit) data rates
• Fuselage-mount compatible with regional, single-aisle & twin-aisle aircraft
• Equivalent performance to 24”H x 36”W Ku-Band Elliptical Dish
• 50% to 80% lower transponder cost ($/Mb)
• Full International (Ku-band) Frequency Coverage
• High-reliability direct-drive positioner (no gears or belts)
• RTCA / DO-160 Certified

Videos