DroneLedger

FIELD GUIDE / DRONE ATLAS / 01

Armed MALE drone · Reusable · armed ISR

MQ-1 Predator

Also known as: MQ-1B, RQ-1, General Atomics MQ-1 Predator

MQ-1 Predator is General Atomics’ reconnaissance and strike aircraft, retired from US Air Force inventory in 2018. This page describes MQ-1B using the preserved USAF fact sheet. MQ-1C Gray Eagle and MQ-9 Reaper are separate aircraft; their figures do not describe Predator.[1][2]

Design origin
United States[1]
Research edition
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Photograph: MQ-1 Predator.
MQ-1 Predator.U.S. Air Force photo/Lt Col Leslie Pratt · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons · Resized
Diagram and size references

Sourced dimensions are listed; no scaled drawing is provided for this configuration.

Schematic top view of the general configuration. Not to scale and not an exact depiction of the model.

Public-source profile. Performance claims are attributed; type links do not verify an incident identification.

The numbers, with their sources

Intervals preserve the published bounds; they are not statistical confidence intervals. A blank lower or upper bound stays open. Values belong to the named configuration, not every aircraft.

Body length

8.22 m[1]MQ-1B · preserved USAF fact sheet · Publication year unknown · consulted 2026-11-08
Official report; not an independent test

Wingspan

16.8 m[1]MQ-1B · preserved USAF fact sheet · Publication year unknown · consulted 2026-11-08
Official report; not an independent test

Take-off mass

512 kg[1]MQ-1B · empty aircraft weight · Publication year unknown · consulted 2026-11-08
Official report; not an independent test
1020 kg[1]MQ-1B · maximum takeoff weight · Publication year unknown · consulted 2026-11-08
Official report; not an independent test

Published speed · knots

≈ 70 kt[1]MQ-1B · cruise speed around 70 knots · Publication year unknown · consulted 2026-11-08
Approximate / analyst compilation

Published flight range

≤ 1239.2 km[1]MQ-1B · up to 770 statute miles × 1.609344 · Publication year unknown · consulted 2026-11-08
Official report; not an independent test

Endurance

Not publicly established

Payload

204 kg[1]MQ-1B · preserved USAF fact sheet · Publication year unknown · consulted 2026-11-08
Official report; not an independent test

Reported speed

≤ 217.3 km/h[1]MQ-1B · maximum speed, 135 mph × 1.609344 · Publication year unknown · consulted 2026-11-08
Official report; not an independent test

Engine / propulsion

Rotax 914F[1]MQ-1B · USAF fact sheet

Guidance / control link

A remote pilot and sensor operator use line-of-sight or satellite data links.[1]MQ-1B · USAF fact sheet

First flight / first reported use

USAF lists MQ-1B initial operational capability in March 2005, not the family’s first flight.[1]MQ-1B · USAF IOC milestone

Manufacturer

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems[1]MQ-1B · USAF fact sheet

Operators

US Air Force, formerly. The reviewed sources do not establish other operators’ present status.[2]MQ-1B · USAF retirement scope

Service status

Retired from USAF inventory on 9 March 2018.[2]MQ-1 · USAF retirement

Same-class research profiles · published range, km · open bounds remain open

Direct answers

Dimensions

Body length: 8.22 m · MQ-1B · preserved USAF fact sheet · Official report; not an independent test. US Air Force via US Government Publishing Office

Wingspan: 16.8 m · MQ-1B · preserved USAF fact sheet · Official report; not an independent test. US Air Force via US Government Publishing Office

Range

Published flight range: ≤ 1239.2 km · MQ-1B · up to 770 statute miles × 1.609344 · Official report; not an independent test. US Air Force via US Government Publishing Office

Speed

Published speed · knots: ≈ 70 kt · MQ-1B · cruise speed around 70 knots · Approximate / analyst compilation. US Air Force via US Government Publishing Office

Reported speed: ≤ 217.3 km/h · MQ-1B · maximum speed, 135 mph × 1.609344 · Official report; not an independent test. US Air Force via US Government Publishing Office

Weight

Take-off mass: 512 kg · MQ-1B · empty aircraft weight · Official report; not an independent test. US Air Force via US Government Publishing Office

Take-off mass: 1020 kg · MQ-1B · maximum takeoff weight · Official report; not an independent test. US Air Force via US Government Publishing Office

Payload

Payload: 204 kg · MQ-1B · preserved USAF fact sheet · Official report; not an independent test. US Air Force via US Government Publishing Office

Designer / manufacturer

Catalogue attribution: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. www.govinfo.gov · www.acc.af.mil

Price / cost

Not publicly established in the reviewed sources.

First operational use

Not publicly established in the reviewed sources.

also known as MQ-1, MQ-1B, RQ-1, General Atomics MQ-1 Predator

Public-source profile. Performance claims are attributed; type links do not verify an incident identification.

Press factsheet ↗Source-bound type data ↗
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Frequently asked questions

Size in everyday terms

One scale. Different machines.

No scaled drawing is provided for this configuration. See the sourced dimensions and their limitations.

MQ-1 Predator · MQ-1B · preserved USAF fact sheet · Body length[1] · Wingspan[1]

Human height is an illustrative 1.8 m; bus length an illustrative 12 m. Car length uses the cited MINI specification. Vehicle heights and drone side contours are schematic. Top views preserve published length and span; an absent dimension is never guessed.

One car length here is 3.821 m: MINI Cooper 3 door, March 2020 specification.

In our archive

Not yet named as a model in this archive — sources usually say only “drone” or name the family.

Browse this category · Armed MALE drone

Where this type appears

Counts follow model/family links in the archive. A general register link does not identify a model.

Family & configurations

MQ-1 Predator

No sourced family relationship recorded in this edition. Similar roles do not establish a common design.

Form, sound & identification limits

  • The preserved sheet’s price covers a system with aircraft and ground equipment. It is not a per-aircraft price. “includes four aircraft”[1]

Shape or sound alone cannot identify a drone. Follow local public-safety alerts; do not approach wreckage.

No licensed, model-attested recording is available in our sound library.

What does it cost?

Published USD figures use different price bases and years. Airframes, export packages and support are not equivalent. These are not current offers or verified production costs.

Unknown in reviewed sources

Countermeasures in public analysis

No type-specific, independently supported summary is included in this edition.

Source notebook

  1. US Air Force via US Government Publishing Office · MQ-1B Predator fact sheet, preserved government publication

    Publication date not stated · Source consulted: 08 Nov 2026 · Official report; not an independent test

  2. US Air Combat Command · AF DCGS says goodbye to an old friend

    23 Mar 2018 · Source consulted: 08 Nov 2026 · Official report; not an independent test

    Consulted via search index; direct page unavailable

Cite this profile

DroneLedger. MQ-1 Predator. Research edition 2026-11-08. https://droneincidents.com/drones/mq-1-predator/

Permanent research edition