First flight for new jet-powered Avenger UAV

A turbojet-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has completed its first flight. The unmanned aircraft is called the Avenger Extended Range, a variant of the company's jet-powered Predator C Avenger, which has accumulated more than 13,000 flight hours to date. The flight occurred at its Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. The aircraft has a wingspan of 76 feet and carries 2,200 pounds of additional fuel. Its flight endurance is 20 hours, five more than the legacy Avenger. The remotely piloted aircraft also features a wide array of sensors and weapons payloads to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and ground support missions.