General Atomics has successfully completed second endurance flight of the U.S. Army's Improved Gray Eagle® (IGE) prototype Unmanned Aer...
General Atomics has successfully completed second endurance flight of the U.S. Army's Improved Gray Eagle® (IGE) prototype Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
During the flight, IGE carried an external signals intelligence (SIGINT) pod on one wing and two Hellfire air to ground missiles on the other.
The flight lasted 36.7 hours, taking off on January 17 and landing on January 19 at the company's El Mirage Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, California.
The flight test was funded by the U.S. Army's Product Office for Medium Altitude Endurance (PM-MAE) UAS.
IGE's first endurance flight occurred in October 2013, when the UAS flew over 45 hours in a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) configuration, with no external payloads integrated.
IGE features increased endurance, enhanced payload carriage, and increased reliability", said Frank W. Pace, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI.
Following this test, IGE will receive software updates that will allow its operation from the U.S. Army's One System Ground Control Station (OSGCS) and future Universal Ground Control System (UGCS). The Army plans to flight test the upgrade this summer.
An upgraded version of the U.S. Army's mission proven Gray Eagle UAS that has accumulated over 100,000 flight hours since 2008, IGE was developed by GA-ASI on Internal Research and Development (IRAD) funds.
In addition to the prototype aircraft currently undergoing flight test evaluation, the company has committed to manufacturing an additional "production first article" aircraft.
IGE has a Max Gross Takeoff Weight (MGTOW) of 4200 pounds, utilizing the 205 HP Lycoming DEL-120 engine.
The aircraft's deep belly design and 500- pound centerline hard point allows for 850 pounds of internal fuel load, with an optional external fuel pod that can accommodate an additional 450 pounds.
Use of this extra fuel would allow for RSTA missions in excess of 50 hours.
