Turkey celebrates as Bayraktar drone hits new milestone

Bayraktar achieves new milestone  Image: Turkey Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB)

The armed drone Bayraktar TB2 is now aiming at a record-breaking million hours. This is the first home-made aerial vehicle to record such extensive flight time in the country’s aviation history.
"The 1 million flight hour record is next," Selçuk Bayraktar, the chief technology officer of Baykar, said on Twitter.
Bayraktar TB2 has advanced electronics, software, aerodynamic design, submarine systems, as well as flight automation and performance. It is capable of performing active reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence flights and armed attack missions. The drone has the ability to transmit images to operation centres without delay and engage targets. It has a cruising speed of 70 knots with an operational flight altitude of 24.000 feet, 24 hours of flight time and a communication range of 150 km and has a 12-m wing span, 650-kg maximum take-off weight and a 55-kg payload capacity.