Extended Range Long Wing Version of Predator B Takes First Flight
Photo: General Atomics.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has announced the first successful flight of its Predator B Extended Range Long Wing. This version of the Predator B, which was developed on internal research and development funds, has a 13-foot longer wingspan, increasing the aircraft’s endurance from 27 hours to over 40 hours. The wings also have provisions for leading-edge de-ice and integrated low-and-high-band radio frequency antennas.
“Predator B ER’s new 79-foot wing span not only boosts the RPA’s endurance range, but also serves as of proof-of-concept for the next-generation Predator B aircraft that will be designed for type-certification and airspace integration,” says General Atomics CEO Linden Blue. “The wing was designed to conform to STANAG 4671 [NATO airworthiness Standard for RPA systems], and includes lightning and bird strike protection, nondestructive testing and advanced composite and adhesive materials for extreme environments.”
The improved long-endurance wings are the first components to be produced as a result of General Atomics’ Certifiable Predator B (CPB) development project, which will lead to a certifiable production aircraft in early 2018.
The Predator B took its flight on Feb. 18 at the company’s Gray Butte Flight Test Facility in Palmdale, California, on a test aircraft. During the flight, Predator B demonstrated its ability to launch, climb to an initial test altitude of 7,500 feet, complete basic airworthiness maneuvers and land without incident.
