Function: Medium to high altitude endurance UAV using a jet powered propeller powerplant to expand the mission performance and capability of the original Predator.



History: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are either remotely or autonomous pilotless drones typically used for reconnaissance. UAVs can trace their roots back to the AQM-34N Firebee. Derived from the Ryan Aeronautical Company Firebee sub-sonic target drone, the AQM-34N had a range of more than 2,400 miles, could fly above 65,000 feet, and had a top speed of 420 miles per hour. During the Vietnam war the Firebee recon drones were made more maneuverable and equipped with electronic countermeasures and jamming equipment to defend them from surface to air missiles and air interception.



UAVs are generally equipped with a payload bay which can house a variety of sensor packages, allowing mission planners to tailor the UAV's sensors for a specific mission requirement.



UAVs are generally divided into two categories: Tactical and Endurance. Tactical UAVs typically have a range of at least 200km while Endurance UAVs have a range beyond 200km.







Background: The RQ-1 Predator Medium Altitude Endurance (MAE) UAV was introduced in May 1995 as a proof of concept demonstrator. The RQ-1A/B Predator is a system, not just an aircraft. The fully operational system consists of four air vehicles (with sensors), a ground control station (GCS), a Predator primary satellite link communication suite and 55 people.



The Predator air vehicle and sensors are commanded and controlled by its GCS via a C-band line-of-sight data link or a Ku-band satellite data link for beyond-line-of-sight operations. During flight operations the crew in the GCS is an air vehicle operator and three sensor operators. The aircraft is equipped with a color nose camera (generally used by the air vehicle operator for flight control), a day variable aperture TV camera, a variable aperture infrared camera (for low light/night) and a synthetic aperture radar for looking through smoke, clouds or haze. The cameras produce full motion video and the synthetic aperture radar produces still frame radar images. On the RQ-1B, either the daylight variable aperture or the infrared electro-optical sensor may be operated simultaneously with the synthetic aperture radar.



Predator B is based on the Predator airframe, avionics, mechanical systems, data link and flight control technology.







Description: The Predator air vehicle is a single wing, single engine platform. The fuselage is slender, except for the bulbous nose which houses most of the vehicles sensors. The single wing is centrally mounted low on the body and is of a high aspect ratio design. The motor is a Rotax 912 four-cylinder engine, which runs on 100-octane gasoline, produces 81 horsepower and is mounted in the tail section of the aircraft in a pusher configuration. The two rear "tailerons" are mounted in an inverted configuration on the fuselage just forward of the engine.







?General Characteristics, Predator B UAV





Prime Contractor:

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Incorporated







Control:

Mission pre-programmed/manual; manual launch and recovery







Wingspan:

64 feet







Length:

34 feet







Service Ceiling:

45,000 feet













Speed:

Maximum: 220 mph







Range:

400 nautical miles







Endurance:

24 hours on station at maximum range







Payloads:

EO, IR, SAR, laser designator







Weight:

Gross: 3,000 lbs.