Fri, Feb 10, 2012
Production Of Third And Fourth Aircraft Already Underway
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), on Wednesday
reported the successful flight of a second multi-mission
jet-powered Predator C Avenger aircraft.
“The first flight of our second
Avenger aircraft is a significant achievement as it refines the
first prototype design to an operational capability,” said
Frank Pace, president, Aircraft Systems Group, GA-ASI.
“Avenger provides the right capabilities for the right cost
at the right time and is operationally ready today. This aircraft
offers unique advantages in terms of performance, cost, timescale,
and adaptability that are unmatched by any other UAS in its
class.”
The first flight of the second aircraft in the Avenger fleet
occurred on January 12 at the company’s Gray Butte Flight
Operations Facility in Palmdale, CA. Tail 2 met all performance
objectives in its first flight. The aircraft features a longer
fuselage than the first Avenger aircraft – increased by four
feet to accommodate larger payloads and fuel. Avenger can carry up
to 3,500 lb internally and its wing hard points are capable of
carrying weapons ranging from the 500 lb class to the 2,000 lb
class.
Production of a third and fourth UAS in the Avenger series is also
underway, with Tail 3 expected to fly by late summer and Tail 4 by
early next year.
With avionics based upon the Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper, Avenger is
designed to perform high-speed, long-endurance, multi-mission
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and
precision-strike missions over land or sea. The aircraft has a
44-foot long fuselage, a 66-foot wingspan, is capable of flying at
over 400 KTAS, and has an endurance of over 16 hours.
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