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RQ-1K Predator
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| RQ-1K Predator |  |
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One of the most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in the world, the Predator was
designed to provide the US Air Force an airborne tactical reconnaissance platform. The
Predator is actually more a system than just an airframe, comprising four aircraft, a
ground control station, as satellite communications terminal, and 55 personnel. In
flight, the aircraft is controlled by a ground crew with a direct data link or, when
beyond range of the direct link, by satellite. Equipment carried in the turret under
the nose provides live video, still images or radar imagery in all weather conditions,
day or night. Information can be shared instantly with military commanders around
the world.
The Predator made its first flight in July 1994. The RQ-1K was the pre-production version of the Predator. Initial production versions, designated RQ-1L, were fitted with more powerful turbocharged engines. The Predator saw action for the first time over Bosnia in 1995, two years before full-rate production began in 1997. In 2001, the Predator demonstrated an offensive capability, test firing an AGM-114 Hellfire laser-guided air-to-surface missile. This new Predator variant, designated MQ-1, has seen extensive combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. A larger, faster and more lethal version, the Predator B, entered service with the Air Force in 2003. |
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| Specifications | |
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MANUFACTURER
TYPE ENGINE WINGSPAN LENGTH HEIGHT GROSS WEIGHT MAXIMUM SPEED RANGE CEILING ENDURANCE ARMAMENT CREW |
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.,
San Diego, CA Reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Rotax 912 four-cylinder, four-stroke piston engine; 81 hp 48 ft 7 in (14.81 m) 27 ft (8.23 m) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 950 lbs (430.91 kg) 87 mph (140 km/n) 454 miles (730.64 km) 25,000 ft (7,620 m) 40 hours None None |
| General Atomics Aeronautical Systems |
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A San Diego Company
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), located in northern San Diego, is
an affiliate of privately-held General Atomics. GA-ASI is a leading designer and
manufacturer of remotely-operated aircraft (ROA) systems like the Predator. An industry
leader in performance and reliability in ROA technology since its establishment in 1993,
the company has expanded the acceptance and application of unmanned aircraft systems
within the United States and among allied forces around the world.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is proud to be the official sponser of the San Diego Aerospace Museum's RQ-1 Predator for 2005-2006. |
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| About the Museum's Aircraft |
| This Predator, the eighteenth built (Air Force serial no. 95-3018), is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It made its first flight on October 24, 1997, and was assigned to Indian Springs Air Force Base in Nevada. The aircraft saw action during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia during two deployments, first in 1999 and again in late 2000. During its operational history with the Air Force, it flew 418 times. It is one of only three Predators currently on exhibit in the world. |
Items of Interest...
| Related Links |
| RQ-1 Predator - Global Security org |
| Predator RQ-1 - airforce-technology.com |
| RQ-1 Predator - Global Aircraft |
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