![]() The venting is shielded from the ground by a short-running panel extending passed the actual exhaust port.© The engine exhausts at the rear through a diminutive "S" shaped exhaust duct to help reduce its heat signature. There is an identifiable air inlet above the fuselage just behind the center portion of the wings to aspirate the jet engine held within. There are no horizontal planes as the Avenger was designed with a "Y" type vertical fin assembly covering the form and function of both vertical and horizontal planes as found on conventional aircraft. Wings are slightly swept back and fitted along amidships, measuring some 66 feet across. The forward portion of the fuselage is devoid of features and appears as a cockpit-less snout. She features the perfect blend of curves coupled with sharp angles to best deflate incoming radar signals meant to track her. The internal fuel tank increases endurance by an additional two hours of flight time.Įxternally, the Avenger is of a sleek and ultra-modern design, more akin to perhaps Lockheed's style of designing their new range of stealth aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35. Endurance is listed at 20 hours but this is extendable by way of an optional internal fuel tank taking up space in the bomb bay if need be. Performance specifications include a top speed in excess of 460 miles per hour with an operational ceiling comparable to a military fighter at 60,000 feet. Her appearance is also more stout and intimidating, a far cry from the fragile stature taken by the earlier MQ-1 and MQ-9 series. The Avenger's use of a single Pratt & Whitney PW545B series engine of 4,800lb thrust now evolves the Predator family line substantially. The original and subsequent Predator models both used a "pusher" propeller engine system tied to a combustion engine to achieve adequate performance capabilities and loiter times. What most differentiates the Avenger from previous Predator UAV offerings is its use of a jet-powered engine and her "stealth" qualities. One positive selling point of the new Avenger UAV is its use of existing Predator A and Predator B ground-based infrastructure meaning that the US military would need only to procure the Avenger itself and any new available software to run her as they did with the previous Predator offerings. ![]() Working in conjunction, this will put the USAF leaps ahead of any air force in existence. ![]() The third generation of Predator (Predator C, "Avenger"), is more in line with the current and upcoming crop of 5th Generation fighters being deployed by the USAF. The Predator B (MQ-9 "Reaper") was a second generation predator developed from the beginning to carry weaponry but sported improved performance capabilities. The original Predator A (MQ-1) began life as a reconnaissance platform and was only later modified to carry Hellfire anti-tank missiles. ![]() First flight was completed on April 4th, 2009 and the prime contractor is General Atomics Aeronautical Systems of San Diego, California. The Avenger is a more potent and lethal version of all previous Predator UAVs and should maintain a long and healthy tenure in service to the American Military should her technology live up to her billing. The system was developed from the MQ-9 Reaper series (formerly "Predator B") which itself was designed from the lessons learned in the MQ-1 Predator ("Predator A") and is billed as a true unmanned "combat" air vehicle, defining her role moreso than previous UAV models. The General Atomics Avenger (formerly marked as the "Predator C") is one of the newer UAV systems to come online with the United States military, showcasing some of the very latest in UAV technology. ![]()
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