Russia uses 'model airplane club technology' in its drones

This is reported by Defense Express. 

It has been known that the Russians have been using unmanned aerial vehicles of an undetermined type, literally made of plywood, for reconnaissance or other purposes against Ukraine since at least May 2023. However, the Air Force has only recognized this fact now, in October 2023.

The Russians use technologies 'at the level of a model airplane club' to produce even some 'iconic' models of 'kamikaze' drones, but this does not mean a production scale of thousands of units per month.

"Paradoxical as it may sound now, the Russian forces use 'model airplane club technology' even to produce Lancet 'kamikaze' drones," Defense Express notes. 

It was revealed that the Russian forces had installed a 2.5 kW AXi 4120/20 aircraft electric motor from the Czech manufacturer Model Motors on the Lancets. Such an engine can be ordered for 600 zlotys, or slightly more than USD 100, on Polish marketplaces.

These electric motors are intended for aircraft weighing no more than 5 kilos. 

However, the Russians showed considerable engineering flexibility in this situation, adapting the AXi 4120/20, which has a capacity of 2.5 kW for a 5-kg aircraft, as a power plant for the Lancet, which has a flight weight of 12 kilos.

But in this case, the example of 'modeling club technology' is not intended to show any imaginary flaws in the Lancet design. Not at all, because here we are talking about the second most widely used type of Russian 'kamikaze' drones after the Shahed, whose launch rate in September alone could exceed 200 units.

"In order to mass-produce their UAVs, the Russians always go for maximum simplification of the design, which, however, does not promise production rates literally at the level of 'stamped on the knee,'" the media emphasizes. 

• Russian troops are attacking Ukraine with new unidentified drones. Russia is buying the engines for these drones on AliExpress