The Yakovlev Pchela, a Russian surveillance drone launched from a BTR-D.
Posted by Striking_Bag3870@reddit | WeirdWings | View on Reddit | 21 comments
Product of the very late Soviet Union, launched with a rocket booster and recovered by parachute. Apparently in use by North Korea.
brotherhyrum@reddit
That is the most Russian looking drone I’ve ever seen
TacTurtle@reddit
Needs a ring of Vostock-esque fuel pods around the middle and like 5 antennas sticking out at random angles.
magnuman307@reddit
And a giant red star of course.
tadeuska@reddit
This one is Soviet Union born and raised.
Nuclear_Geek@reddit
On a BTR-D is where it spent most of it's days.
platdujour@reddit
It was concieved in the back of a BTR-D
Glum-Antelope-7047@reddit
The budget version of the Canadair CL-289 also strange ass landing gear seems like the air cushion option would be far more versatile and effective, also aerodynamically superior
Username_075@reddit
The only UAV I'm aware of that used an air bag type system was Phoenix which also had a reputation as the most dogshit drone ever. Second only to Watchkeeper really, which is why you shouldn't let gunners design air vehicles.
The airbags were a retrofit though, the original design landed upside down with frangible wingtips and a weird spine like thing taking the impact. The sensor pod underneath was now on top and hopefully protected as that was the expensive bit. As long as you came down perfectly vertically though.
Turns out in the real world there's this thing called wind and in reality they ended up rolling over and over until wrecked.
Glum-Antelope-7047@reddit
Fair point but I think the wind issue would still be present if you have the goofy landing gear I mean it mainly stems from the parachute landing rather than anything else. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nW-zwe1otx4&ra=m in this video you can see the drone that I meant and apparently it was semi successful just needed a relatively large open area for landing
GrandJelly_@reddit
Russian V1 - ish.
Su-37_Terminator@reddit
...bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
[ROUTED!]
attran84@reddit
Looks like a flying torpedo
yuchix@reddit
It looks so dorky yet cool... why am I vibing with this so hard?
FLongis@reddit
One step closer to the Tu-3 Vulture... End War truly saw the future.
onehotoneshot@reddit
Get stickbugged
Biggity_Bonard@reddit
looks like something from pikmin
CrouchingToaster@reddit
Was it considered disposable or was there a method to recover it more than “hope these metal poles work to slow it in a field landing.”
ElSquibbonator@reddit
It was supposed to land by parachute. They tested a mid-air recovery system for it, but don't seem to have used that operationally.
Ketil_b@reddit
But why does it look like Starbug
ChemistRemote7182@reddit
Please tell me they called it "Grasshopper" or Locust or something similar
Striking_Bag3870@reddit (OP)
They call it the "bee" unfortunately . They didnt know any better