Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
DanielR Profile picture
@DanielR33187703
Feb 9 • 16 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X
Scrolly
1. It would be easy to overlook this single photo of a mysterious #Ukrainian #drone that was shown on a Russian Telegram channel. This drone crashed in the Belgorod region and there are a number of interesting details.
t.me/Mestb_Dobroj_V…
Image
2. There have been a few previous crashes of this model of drone. One of the crash sites showed a lot of detail including a C3-6 explosive. It is not clear why this drone crashed largely intact.
t.me/UAVDEV/4925
Image
3. These drones use the Chinese-made DLE 170 engine. The engine here has dark oil on the exhaust manifold which suggests a possible engine failure. The fuselage is expensively made from carbon fibre and has fancy aluminum parts. Image
4. The electronics are curious. Automotive style fuses are used with 23 circuits (23 seems a lot for a small drone). There are also at least six different types of electrical connectors including BNC, SMA, DB9, and DB25. Image
5. A different crash provides information on how the wing is constructed. Tubes pass through the mounting brackets but the order of assembly is not obvious. Perhaps the spars slide in from the wingtips.
t.me/Mestb_Dobroj_V…
Image
6. The origin of these aircraft is somewhat murky. Three of the same model of drone are in service with the Pakistan Air Force. Image
7. These aircraft were also on display in Pakistan’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP). There are no obvious indications of the aircraft manufacturer or model on the drones. Maybe we should name it, "NASTP YX". Image
8. More importantly, the mystery drones were displayed along with a KaGeM V3 developed by RE & RP Group NASTP that shows a Baykar logo. Also displayed are a Baykar Akinci, the Baykar corporate logo and the flag of Türkiye. Image
9. In August, 2023 Baykar announced a very high-profile agreement for research & development within NASTP. Present were Baykar Board Chairman, Selçuk Bayraktar and Pakistan Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif.
baykartech.com/en/press/bayka…
Image
10. Turkish Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadioğlu inspects the mystery drone being assembled at NASTP. This offers a good view of the wing mounts and complicated fuselage construction. Image
11. Thus, a drone assembled in Pakistan, in collaboration with Türkiye, was sent to Ukraine, filled with explosives and then flown into Russia. One can consider the geopolitical implications. As a complication, Baykar is also working with Ukraine.

ukrinform.net/amp/rubric-eco…
12. Russia claimed to have brought this drone down but perhaps not. The engine does not have a generator and the exhaust is very dirty. We have seen these before. If the battery supplying the ignition runs low, the engine will misfire and lose power. Image
13. One more interesting detail is the large letter "B" painted on the tail. These markings have appeared only recently on Ukrainian drones. Image
14.There are similar markings on a drone that crashed into the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery located deep in Russia. Was the mystery drone also intended for a similar target? If so, the drone may have needed a better battery. Image
15. It would be helpful if NASTP and Baykar would supply a name for their drone. Also, its construction is very strange. The wing and tail are a conventional design but the fuselage is built more like a very expensive missile.
16. This is a very curious drone. If you enjoyed this thread please consider reposting as a quote: your comments are appreciated.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with DanielR

DanielR Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @DanielR33187703

DanielR Profile picture
Jan 31
🧵1. The AQ 400 Scythe by Terminal Autonomy is not a pretty #drone but it is interesting. Almost all of the available information comes from their website and various news sources so let’s look closely and see what can be figured out.
terminalautonomy.com/aq400-scythe
Image
2. Many negative opinions were probably based on the two foreground aircraft in this photo. That was a mistake because a close inspect suggests these are prototypes and the important aircraft are in the background. (Carb heat is necessary to prevent icing.) Image
3. Six aircraft use a DLE 170 engine with electric start and maybe a generator. One has no starter or generator and uses a different propeller. One aircraft has a Sky Power engine suggesting the designers are evaluating different engine configurations. Image
Read 14 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Jan 23
🧵1. Long-range #drones made by #Ukraine have appeared sporadically for some time. This is a quick look at a few of the designs. Perhaps the most well known is the Beaver (Бобер). This is a sleek aircraft suggesting a good top speed. Image
2. The Beaver uses a DLE 170 engine and a large fuel tank to give a very long range. Some were found to have jam-resistant GPS receivers. Beavers have flown to Krasnodar and also to Moscow where office buildings were damaged.
t.me/xronikabpla/61…
Image
3. Another Ukrainian long-range drone is the UJ-22 Airborne by UKRJET. This may also use a DLE 170 or similar engine. Maximum flight range is 800 km and payload is 20 kg. It is not clear how many of these are in service. Image
Read 11 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Jan 17
1. Kamikaze #drones is a nightmare scenario brought to you by the internet of things (IoT). Although many folks warned of the dangers of IoT, being hunted by drones carrying high-explosives was not on their lists. What sequence of events enabled this? Image
2. The history of radio-controlled (RC) aircraft provides insight. Hobbyists have been building and flying RC aircraft for decades. Fifty years ago, radio controls were simple but very expensive. This example cost $300, which is about $1,700 in 2023. Image
3. Radio controls steadily improved but had a range of about one km (this radio is from 1993). Each radio used a single frequency (channel), e.g., channel 42. Two radio controls transmitting on the same channel would result in a crash of the aircraft. Image
Read 15 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Jan 8
1. Oops! Russians shot down a Ukrainian [sic] #drone and provided nice photos - but it is a Russian Ghoul repeater drone. I had planned to discuss a Ghoul drone previously: the Russian report makes this post much more detailed.
t.me/Army_Russia/40…
Image
2. The Ghoul repeater has two large antennas to receive & retransmit signals. It also has its own FPV camera and a GPS & compass module made by iFlight (M8Q-5883 V2.0). This is a fairly large drone and the outboard antennas may make it difficult to fly.
t.me/UAVDEV/4067
Image
3. As a reminder, repeater drones are used to extend the useful range of small FPV drones. They do this by repeating (relaying) the control signals from the pilot to the FPV drone, and vice versa for video. Note that this arrangement requires two pilots. Image
Read 10 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Jan 3
1. Small kamikaze #drones often use detonators for the munitions they are carrying. The trigger can be two bent wires (“whiskers” or “contacts”) that complete a circuit when the drone hits its target. These wire contacts are commonly seen in videos.
t.me/escadrone/902
Image
2. The contacts can be pieces of bare wire attached to the drone with zip ties and tape. They could simply be in series with the detonator & battery but that would be very dangerous for the ground crew. Bumping the contacts could set off the munition.
t.me/escadrone/416
Image
3. Contacts can also be mass-produced. Shown here is a straight centre contact coupled with a spiral outer contact. These are mounted to the drone during assembly and should make deployment easier for the ground crew.
t.me/operativnoZSU/…
Image
Read 11 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Dec 21, 2023
1. In a earlier thread I showed the Russian “magic” Hermes radios for #drones: it resulted in a nice article in Forbes. That thread mostly discussed the receiver mounted on the drone. This is a closer look at the transmitter.
forbes.com/sites/davidham…
2. The Hermes transmitter is an external device that plugs into the back of various radio controllers, e.g., a RadioMaster TX16s. Power and signal to the module are over a 5-pin connector. Image
3. The case is 3D printed. The large volume of production implies they have several 3D printers as printing is a somewhat slow process. Image
Read 11 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

:(