An extended range variant of the jet powered Avenger/Predator C multi-mission unmmaned aerial vehicle has carried out successful maiden ...
An extended range variant of the jet powered Avenger/Predator C multi-mission unmmaned aerial vehicle has carried out successful maiden flight on October 27, General Atomics announced.
Dubbed the Avenger® Extended Range (ER) aircraft, the flight occurred from company's Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, California.
With an increased wingspan of 76 feet and 2,200 pounds of additional fuel, Avenger ER extends the legacy Avenger's endurance from 15 hours to 20 hours.
The RPA provides an optimal balance of long loiter Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and precision-strike capability, supporting a wide array of sensors and weapons payloads to perform ISR and ground support missions.
Like the legacy Avenger, Avenger ER features avionics based upon the combat-proven Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper®, has a 44-foot long fuselage, 3,000-pound payload bay, and is capable of flying at over 400 KTAS.
Avenger ER, along with its predecessor, is designed to carry payloads such as the all-weather GA-ASI Lynx® Multi-mode Radar, the MS-177 Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor, and the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM).
First flown in April 2009, the type has accumulated over 13,000 flight hours to date. The fuselage of Avenger was extended by four feet in 2012 to accommodate larger payloads and fuel.
Avenger received a FAA-issued Experimental Certificate (EC) in 2016, enabling it to operate in the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS).
Despite its improved speed and other performance characteristics, the Avenger was not selected by U.S. Air Force due to its reduced endurance compared to the widely flown turboprop powered armed MQ-9 Reaper.
The Avenger C is powered by single Pratt & Whitney PW545B turbofan engine rated at 17.75 kN thrust and have stealth features like internal weapon bay and s-duct air intake to reduce radar and infrared signature.
