Solutions to win: Ukrainian engineers create revolutionary quadcopter equipped with missile-firing capabilities
Photo: Telegram/ the Army of Drones
A team of Ukrainian engineers has developed an unusual device, "Dzhmil-90", which can be both manned and unmanned.
This was reported on the Drone Army's Telegram and the developers' website.
What is the problem?
After the full-scale invasion of Russia on the territory of Ukraine, the availability of drones for the Ukrainian military has become simply necessary for conducting military operations.
These are the "eyes" of Ukraine's military, and drones are also used to destroy enemy equipment and human resources, thus saving the lives of our defenders. Once the enemy detects them, they are shot down, their course and direction are altered using EW, or they are completely landed. Unfortunately, drones are efficient, but they are also expendable.
Therefore, the Ukrainians, in turn, are actively helping to purchase drones and raise funds for this, and the Ukrainian engineers are working on developing new UAVs.
What is the solution?
Ukrainian inventors designed "Dzhmil-90" based on the experience of creating the FlyingBike2018 device and considering the results of its tests.
"Dzhmil-90" weighs about 90 kg and can become a universal platform for the Ukrainian military to fight the invaders, according to its creators.
How does it work?
The developers reduced the size and simplified the transmission and the design, in general, to make it as technological and suitable for mass production as possible.
Moreover, they adapted the design to use as many ready-made parts and assemblies as possible, which are serially produced and can be purchased; all components have become cheaper.
Photo: lying-bike2018
The designers plan to provide a control system similar to that used by FPV drones, which is simpler and faster.
According to the developers, there is currently a ready-to-manufacture model of a universal UAV with a take-off weight of 200 kg.
The power of the Rotax-582 engine is 48 kW or 65 horsepower. The drone tanks hold up to 60 liters of fuel, with a consumption of 27 liters per hour; this volume ensures a flight duration of about 2 hours.
Photo: lying-bike2018
Specifications:
estimated flight speed — 90-100 km/h;
length — along the hull — 2600 mm, along the edges of the propellers — 3700 mm;
width — behind the hull — 2000 mm, behind the edges of the propellers — 3100 mm;
height — 1300 mm;
mass without fuel — 90 kg;
maximum take-off weight — 200 kg;
capacity of fuel tanks — 60 l.
Possible uses
The design of "Dzhmil-90" envisages its use for combat purposes, although the engineers have not yet considered the installation of any specific weapon system. According to the project's founder, Ihor Nastashchuk, anything can be hung from the lower part of the drone not to exceed the weight.
Self-guided missiles guided by a laser beam can be used. Another problem is weapon guidance systems and secure channels to control them.
It is also possible to install a UB-16-57 unified launch unit weighing about 50 kg with a dozen S-5M fragmentation missiles with a launch range of up to 2.5 km. In this case, the military can launch the drone after finding the target by aerial reconnaissance, shoot back, and then immediately take it to shelter.
"We concluded that a vertical take-off and landing UAV with a load of about 70-100 kg would be much more useful. If it is used in conjunction with small reconnaissance UAVs, it could cause great damage to the enemy. And to fight with a working UAV in the jump mode (jumped for a few seconds over the landing, through the structure, from the ravine, captured the target illuminated by a small UAV, launched and went behind the obstacle) — almost unreal," the developer added.
Photo: lying-bike2018
Ihor Nastashchuk also suggests using the "Dzhmil-90" as a vehicle at the front. In his opinion, in this case, the military will find no fewer tasks for him, for example, to deliver ammunition or weapons to the front line or the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups during the landing on the other bank of the Dnipro or even in Crimea.
In addition, on the occasion of Defenders' Day, Vinnytsia handed over the first batch of Shchedryk reconnaissance drones to the military.
