2. Skywalker posted several videos while developing fibre optics for drones. The first was a short-range, e.g. 100 metres, test in June 12, 2024. The spool of fibre optic was not on the drone but remained on the ground. A rod prevented the fibre from tangling in the propellers. 
2. Skywalker posted a video showing how to attach a bomb release to a pricey (€13500) DJI Matrice 300 drone. It holds two rounds under the drone with a control module mounted on the top of the drone. There is also an excellent view from the office windows. 
2. Now that the company with three names (DSI Drone System Innos, DSTech UAS, Dongshengtai Technology) has been introduced, let’s look at what they are up to. They make their own fixed-wing drones starting with moulds. 
1. The Chinese company Skywalker Technology sells kits for controlling drones using fibre optics. Shown here is a quadrotor with a spool holding a few km of optical fibre. The fibre leads to a base station so control signals can be sent to the drone and video sent back. 
2. When triggered, four springs eject four weights that are attached to the net. The net simply hangs below this launcher. The release is a ring that slides upwards when moved by a servo. 
2. This photo gives a good idea of its size. Range is reported as over 700 km so this drone must hold a very large fuel tank. The size of the warhead will likely depend on the required range. Speed is reported as over 700 km/h (435 mph). 
2. Here is a closer view of this object. The trouble is that most jet engines used in drones do not look like this. If not an engine, what is this? The following photographs will (partially) explain what this is. 
2. It’s not a secret but it is an interesting design. The fuselage is a carbon-fibre cylinder with fancy aluminum bulkheads. Wings and V-tail are composite construction with foam and wood internal structures. This is an expensive airframe compared to some other drones. 
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. 
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. 
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? 
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. 
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. 
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. 
2. This weapon is easily recognised as balloon-borne from the strings attaching the payload to the balloon. Also, the water bottle used for altitude control has been seen on previous balloons. 
2. In #Ukraine, armed drones are deployed by the thousands, and constantly attack vehicles & soldiers. Without costly electronic countermeasures, small drones are difficult to defend against. 
2. Turns out the russian soldier is using an electric mobility scooter. These come in various configurations. The russian got lucky as his scooter has the optional golf-cart tires, which will be helpful in a war zone. 
2. The Besomar is not very big with an approximately 2 m wingspan. It can be launched from a rail or by hand. With current electronics, flight time is 60 minutes and the range (distance from base station) is 30 km. 
2. Here is a better view of the Dart 250. Note that Ukraine also has a low-cost fixed-wing drone called a “Dart” that is very different (don’t confuse them). 
2. Here is a better view of the case. It is a russian Thunderstorm electronic warfare system intended to combat drones. The controls are very simple. There are two power switches to enable the transmitters. There is also a switch & indicator for checking the battery voltage. 
2. Other than a few simple sketches & animations, Ukraine has released very few details about Palianytsia. The approach used here was to carefully study this public information with the aim of making a CAD drawing. From this drawing, various design aspects are considered. 