We have to get over the notion that calling some part of the antenna
structure "ground" gives it some kind of special properties. It
doesn't.


Never said it did. But I still consider it a ground plane... :/
Or at least more of a ground plane, than a straight 1/2 wave.
Note the "VHFGP" in eznec, or elnec. It's noted as a "ground plane"
and is almost exactly the same antenna as WWV's versions.
Same 45 degree slope with the radials.
I do agree about the rest though.
BTW, when comparing a model of a "flat radial" GP, and one with
sloped radials, there looks to be an increase of current from the
radials,
but it's not huge. I think you need to get a pretty steep angle going
for the
cancellation effects to really disappear. In comparing the two on 10m,
at
40 ft at the base, the difference in gain between the two is very
small.
About a 1/10 a db or so... Where I show the straight 1/2 wave to be
appx .6 to .7 db better than the 1/4 GP's. Sloped radials, or straight.

Tends to make me think the 45 degree sloped version still acts a bit
more
like a usual flat GP, than the straight 1/2 wave. I think if you get
to 20 degrees
or less, then yes, it starts thinking it's more a straight vertical.
Of course, in the real world you would probably be hard pressed to tell
a
difference between any of them. MK