Apr. 8 — Ukraine has begun using winged FPV drones in attacks on Russian troops, said Grandpa Roy, OSINT analyst, citing footage of a strike on Russia’s Rubicon drone unit.
According to Roy, wings significantly increase the drone’s range. The aerodynamic lift, provided by them, allows the drone to expend less energy to stay airborne, enabling strikes deep behind Russian lines.
The drone was fitted with a PG-7 warhead, intended for use against armored vehicles, fortifications, and personnel.
The analyst also said that Ukrainian winged FPV drones differ significantly from their Russian counterparts. On Mar. 26, Russia publicly unveiled the KVS fiber-optic FPV drone with a ring-shaped wing design for the first time. Images of the drone were published by Oleksandr Chadaiev, CEO of the Ushkuynik research and production enterprise.
The Russian drone has a 10-inch frame and is likely designed for medium-range flights, with an estimated range of up to 50 kilometers (31 miles). The payload carries a warhead of up to 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds).
A key feature is its ring-shaped wing design, where the tips are connected, reducing wingtip vortices and improving aerodynamic efficiency. This also increases lift by directing airflow downward, especially at higher angles of attack.
Militarnyi, Ukrainian information and analytical center, said that because of its excessive angles, airflow can separate from the wing, causing a sharp loss of lift and potentially leading to loss of control.
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