Engineers at the Novosibirsk KB "Spektr" are working on a fixed-wing strike drone that can be 3D-printed from recycled materials directly on the front lines, according to Andrey Bratenkov, Executive Director of the bureau.
According to him, the developers are currently assembling a device with a flight range of up to 30 km. Flight tests of the prototype are scheduled for December 2023.
Bratenkov emphasized that the main task of the specialists is to design an airframe for 3D printing. It can be printed on an industrial printer (measuring 1 m by 1 m), which can easily fit into any car. The cost of printing can be reduced by using recycled materials - ground plastic.
Poured into the crusher, ground, printed, flew: something like waste-free production
The drone's components are almost all Russian-made, including the engine, flight controller, and propellers. Such a drone can carry 10 kg of payload.
The engineers at KB "Spektr" have extensive experience in developing effective unmanned aerial vehicles tested by the Russian military. They own drones such as "Vorobey" and "Gorynych".
It was previously reported that Russia created the FPV drone "Upyr", partially assembled from parts printed on a 3D printer.