The Russian defense industry has recovered nicely from its dark ages following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The country has made considerable headway in the field of 5th Generation Fighters, advanced bomber concepts, infantry small arms, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Its ongoing war with neighboring Ukraine has given Russia an active battlefield for which to test its various new developments - case-in-point being the STC Orlan-10, an Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance-minded (ISR) UAV which is known to have been used in the War in Donbass.
The Orland-10 operates through the A-95 series gasoline-fueled engine. it is launched by way of catapult (rail) and retrieved through a simply parachute delivery operation. The aircraft can reach speeds nearing 150 kph and can remain airborne for up to 16 hours, delivering data in real-time to operators on the ground out to ranges of 600 kilometers. The system operates at an altitude of about 5,000 meters. Its take-off weight is 15 kilograms and the aircraft can carry a payload of sensors and optics weighing 6 kilograms.
Its outward design is conventional as fixed-wing UAVs go. The fuselage makes up its length with the motor fitted to the nose section driving a two-bladed propeller unit. The wing mainplanes are shoulder-mounted over the fuselage ahead of midships. The tail unit incorporates a simple single-finned arrangement with two low-mounted horizontal planes. Since the drone is rail-launched and parachute-recovered, no complex undercarriage is needed in its operation. The aircraft is transported in a hard case and assembled prior to launching. This involves connecting main and tail planes to the fuselage and adjusting any payload options. The catapult rail system also requires some light assembly.
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October 2018 - Ukrainian forces have claimed the downing of a Russian Orlan-10 UAV by a Ukrainian Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter over the Donbas region near Lysychansk. This was reported on October 15th, 2018.
July 2022 - The Orlan-30 has been unveiled, showcasing a range of up to 300 km flying at speeds of 170 kmh. The system is designed to be used in conjunction with attack aircraft, mobile artillery systems, and static artillery stations against both moving and stationary targets.
July 2022 - Myanmar has been revealed to be the first Orlan-10 UAV customer.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
✓Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
Empty Wgt
20 lb (9 kg)
MTOW
33 lb (15 kg)
Wgt Diff
+13 lb (+6 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base STC Orlan-10 production variant)
monoplane / shoulder-mounted / straight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Shoulder-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted at the upper section of the fuselage, generally at the imaginary line intersecting the pilot's shoulders.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the base STC Orlan-10 production variant)
Installed:
1 x A-95 gasoline-fueled engine driving a two-bladed engine in the nose.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base STC Orlan-10 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
None. Mission payload consists of sensors and camera equipment.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Orlan-10 - Base Series Designation.
Orlan-30 - Advanced form of 2022 with increased operational range and 170 kmh speeds.
General Assessment
Firepower
Performance
Survivability
Versatility
Impact
Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.
Overall Rating
The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry.
20
Rating is out of a possible 100 points.
Relative Maximum Speed
Hi: 100mph
Lo: 50mph
This entry's maximum listed speed (93mph).
Graph average of 75 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
LON
LON
PAR
PAR
BER
BER
MOS
MOS
TOK
TOK
SYD
SYD
LAX
LAX
NYC
STC Orlan-10 operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).
Max Altitude Visualization
Design Balance
The three qualities reflected above are altitude, speed, and range.
Aviation Era Span
Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.
Unit Production (1,000)
1000
36183
44000
Compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian).
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Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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Myanmar; Russia
