General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), has begun fuselage integration of its new Certifiable Predator® B (CPB) remote piloted...
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), has begun fuselage integration of its new Certifiable Predator® B (CPB) remote piloted aircraft, designed for flying in civilian airspace.
The CPB will initially meet European airworthiness initial certification standards in 2017, and in cooperation with the FAA will subsequently meet U.S. certification standards.
The unmanned aircraft will feature hardware and software upgrades, such as improved Predator B structural fatigue and damage tolerance and more robust flight control software, as well as enhancements allowing operations in adverse weather including icing conditions. Additionally, the aircraft will be designed to survive bird and lightning strikes.
The aircraft is capable of carrying multiple mission payloads and includes a state-of-the art Detect and Avoid (DAA) system including space, weight, and power provisions to enable the retrofitting of an airborne Due Regard Radar (DRR) for operation in non-cooperative airspace.
During fuselage integration, numerous components will be installed, including brackets and mounting hardware, electrical cables, fuel systems, oil and cooling systems, landing gear, avionics hardware and software, and a propulsion system.
The next major phase of the aircraft assembly effort consists of wings and tails integration, which is planned for summer 2016, to be followed by complete electrical factory testing.
Upon successfully completing all installations and inspections, the aircraft will undergo power checks, fuel checks, and a complete system check. Lastly, ground verification testing will be conducted prior to first flight of the CPB prototype aircraft. Flight testing is planned for late 2016.
GA-ASI is undertaking an Independent Research and Development (IRAD) effort to design, develop, and produce CPB, a variant of its Predator B RPA that is fully compliant with NATO'sUAV SYSTEM AIRWORTHINESS REQUIREMENTS(defined in STANAG 4671).
The aircraft could fly at altitudes of more than 45000 ft and achieve speeds of upto 200 knots, with a endurance of 40+ hours.
The CPB will initially meet European airworthiness initial certification standards in 2017, and in cooperation with the FAA will subsequently meet U.S. certification standards.
The unmanned aircraft will feature hardware and software upgrades, such as improved Predator B structural fatigue and damage tolerance and more robust flight control software, as well as enhancements allowing operations in adverse weather including icing conditions. Additionally, the aircraft will be designed to survive bird and lightning strikes.
The aircraft is capable of carrying multiple mission payloads and includes a state-of-the art Detect and Avoid (DAA) system including space, weight, and power provisions to enable the retrofitting of an airborne Due Regard Radar (DRR) for operation in non-cooperative airspace.
During fuselage integration, numerous components will be installed, including brackets and mounting hardware, electrical cables, fuel systems, oil and cooling systems, landing gear, avionics hardware and software, and a propulsion system.
The next major phase of the aircraft assembly effort consists of wings and tails integration, which is planned for summer 2016, to be followed by complete electrical factory testing.
Upon successfully completing all installations and inspections, the aircraft will undergo power checks, fuel checks, and a complete system check. Lastly, ground verification testing will be conducted prior to first flight of the CPB prototype aircraft. Flight testing is planned for late 2016.
GA-ASI is undertaking an Independent Research and Development (IRAD) effort to design, develop, and produce CPB, a variant of its Predator B RPA that is fully compliant with NATO'sUAV SYSTEM AIRWORTHINESS REQUIREMENTS(defined in STANAG 4671).
The aircraft could fly at altitudes of more than 45000 ft and achieve speeds of upto 200 knots, with a endurance of 40+ hours.
