🧵1. In the #UkraineRussia war, volunteers assemble #drones for military use. Most components are imported from China but some are made locally. Russian volunteers (kb70ru Конструкторское дизайн бюро) designed a drone that uses a frame made from plywood. vk.com/kb70ru
2. A computer-controlled router is used to cut the drone frames out of 9mm thick plywood. t.me/kb70ru/366
3. A laser cutter is used to cut parts out thinner plywood. The laser cutter is more accurate but is limited to cutting thinner materials.
4. An advantage of this design is it's easy to make different size frames for different applications (the inch sizes refer to the propeller diameter):
5" Training (there is a large training program)
6" Reconnaissance
7" Kamikaze (attack)
9" Bomber t.me/kb70talks/8924
5. Some interesting observations can be made. This project appears to be largely the initiative of one person (Alexey). The workshop used for development is not very big or fancy.
6. However, the automated router and laser cutter can produce a lot of drone frames in a few days.
7. Keep in mind that there is a lot more to a drone than the frame. The frame needs to be assembled and 4 motors, 4 propellers, ELRS receiver, flight controller stack, camera, video transmitter, antennas & battery need to be installed.
8. Since all the drone parts are hobby-grade & made in China it is easy to determine the cost effectiveness of this home-made frame. At best, it reduces the cost of a drone by about 10 to 15%.
9.This cost estimate was verified in a post, “Six copters were paid for by concerned citizens. Production of one drone costs about 40,000 rubles and a month of waiting for the delivery of components.” vk.com/kb70ru?w=wall-…
10. The frames are given to other groups to assemble. Photos confirm that many of these frames were used to make drones. But how many frames were made and how many resulted in a drone?
11. Apparently, these volunteers were not keeping track but instead estimated 500 frames from the number of nylon standoffs used (6 per drone). But no one knows how many of these frames were made into drones. t.me/kb70talks/9099
12. Keep in mind that to turn 500 frames into drones would require about US$200,000 worth of components. In a poor and corrupt country like Russia, it’s not clear how this would work out. Many frames were shipped and subsequently disappeared.
13. Some Russian sources claim that huge numbers of drones are being made each day. Because the volunteers are not keeping track of their own production, these (partially) official numbers cannot be accurate. t.me/vatfor/8784
14. In spite of their efforts, this project was not approved for Russian government funding. “Ahaha plywood frames did not pass the selection of the high state commission))))” This rejection resulted in bitterness and may have dampened their enthusiasm. t.me/kb70talks/7344
15. In summary, this group of Russian volunteers worked very hard, made drones and had successes but still did not obtain government funding. Without serious money, it’s not clear how big their impact will be in a quickly evolving war.
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1. Ukrainian cities have been targeted by thousands of russian Shahed-136 (Geranium-2) drones. Although Ukraine has flown plenty of long-range drones into russia, it did not have a drone similar to the Shahed-136. But it might have one now.
2. There is no single good photo of this drone so I made this rough sketch to give an idea what it looks like. Conceptually, it is very similar to the Shahed-136. The Ukrainian drone may have a larger diameter fuselage and be a bit shorter but it is hard to be certain.
3. In July 2024, one of these drones crashed in russia resulting in a couple of photos. This is the underside of the engine as the drone's exhaust points upwards. The engine has a bracket added that is likely a prop guard. Note the electric start on this single-use engine.
1. A hinge from a Shahed-136 kamikaze drone tells a story. The russians call this drone the Geranium-2. Here, a worker sketched a geranium before the drone was assembled, telling us this drone was likely assembled in russia not Iran. This photo was posted by @ConnieLingus123
2. This hinge appears to be well designed, likely after several iterations of refinement. The overall design is such that the left and right sides are identical or almost identical. This makes production easier as there are fewer unique components.
3. Two large plates are probably cut from stainless steel sheet, possibly using a waterjet. There are two aluminum components that are likely made with die casting to avoid expensive machining.
1. Is this captured Ukrainian drone special? A view of the front shows a forward-facing camera and plastic covers but it is otherwise unremarkable.
2. A few of the underside of the drone shows a cooling fan. This is somewhat unusual on these small drones. What is the fan for?
3. The inside reveals a surprise. There is an artificial intelligence module connected to the camera. The HDMI interface suggests the camera has high resolution.
1. One way to defend against small drones is to capture them. But how does one catch a drone? The folks at Ptashka Drones have developed a nifty net launcher to deal with russian drones that are hovering nearby. It is called the Сіткомет Пташка.
2. The internal components are not shown but it appears to use a single cartridge as a source of propellant. To fire the cartridge, there is a spring-loaded hammer that is cocked by sliding a bolt into a slot. A servo motor fires the net by pushing the bolt out of the slot.
3. The net is held in a 3D-printed cone that has a plastic cover. Four metal cylinders fire projectiles that are connected to the net. There are different mounts for connecting to different models of drones.
1. Several hundred days of #drone warfare that started with small quadcopters dropping hand grenades have progressed to this monster. This bomb weighs 40 kg and appears to be 3D-printed. Photo is from August, 2024.
2. This bomb is heavy and requires a large Baba Yaga multi-rotor drone to deliver it. Of note is the very large bomb release, which was probably also 3D-printed. Note that the bomb & release would require a very large-format 3D printer.
3. This drone is a popular design. Note how the bomb hangs below the copter’s landing skids. It’s not clear how many people would be required to deploy this weapon. Also, this drone probably cannot fly far with this heavy payload.
1. A russian video claims to show a field laboratory set up near the front lines for servicing #drones. We know this is russian propaganda because in the entire history of human ingenuity, a tablecloth has never been used to cover a workbench. Let’s have a closer look.
2. Although, this (front-line!) workshop is inside a building, the walls are covered in camo net for some reason. For the front line the soldiers are extremely clean & tidy. The floor may be the cleanest in the entire russian military. That flag appears in other propaganda.
3. This is propaganda so the choice of tools is not an accident. The soldering iron stand is brand new. We know this because sponges are shipped compressed and will expand to normal size when water is added. These are still compressed. Oddly, the box has been left on the bench.