Yakovlev Pchela (Bee)

ISR Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) [ 2005 ]

The Yakovlev Pchela is used in the over-battlefield, data-collecting role by the Russian Air Force.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/15/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

In recent years, Russian defense forces have been adopting Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in greater numbers. One type in having made its way into the inventory of the Russian Air Force is the compact Yakovlev "Pchela" ("Bee") which is used for the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) role. The system is used by the militaries of both Russia and North Korea (2018). A first-flight was recorded in 1990.

The vehicle's design consists of a tube-like fuselage which houses the optics and avionics set in the front and the powerpack in the rear. The optics are held in a traversing "blister" mounted in the chin position and integrates real-time video feeds with protected data-link capability - giving ground commanders access to real-time battlefield data. The engine drives a shrouded propeller unit in "pusher" configuration at the tail. Over midships is a shoulder-mounted, straight wing mainplane. The undercarriage is a static, shock-absorbing four-legged tube assembly.

As designed, the air vehicle has a an operational range out to about 40 miles from its ground remote-control post and can reach altitudes in excess of 8,000 feet. Maximum speed reaches over 110 mph. The system can remain airborne for some two total hours. The launch process requires use of two solid-propellant booster rocket-driven engines and recovery is by way of a parachute deployed to retard the fall of the vehicle as it returns to the ground. The vehicle is flown either through pre-set mission waypoints (automated flight) or by remote, manual input by a ground-based operator.

Beyond its stated value to the ISR role, the Pchela can also be used to designate targets for accompanying attack aircraft and can further serve as a target drone for training actions. Like other UAVs of this class, the Pchela is designed with a modular payload-carrying capability which can be arranged to suit the needs of the customer.

According to Yakovlev marketing materials, the complete Pchela field system includes up to ten air vehicles with associated (dispensable) booster launchers, the mobile GCS and launch rail (built into the compact tracked, air-droppable BTR-D armored vehicle), a supporting URAL-4320 military truck, and a loader-transporter GAZ-66 series military truck.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

2005

Origin

Russia

Status

ACTIVE
In Active Service.

Crew

0
UNMANNED

Production

100
UNITS

Yakovlev OKB - Soviet Union / Russia

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

North Korea; Russia

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

INTELLIGENCE-SURVEILLANCE-RECONNAISSANCE
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

TRAINING
Developed ability to be used as a dedicated trainer for student pilots (typically under the supervision of an instructor).

UNMANNED
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.

Empty Wgt

220 lb
(100 kg)

MTOW

309 lb
(140 kg)

Wgt Diff

+88 lb
(+40 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Yakovlev Pchela-1T production variant)

Installed: 1 x Conventional drive motor arranged in pusher configuration. Solid-fueled rocket-boosted launches.

Max Speed

112 mph
(180 kph | 97 kts)

Ceiling

8,202 ft
(2,500 m | 2 mi)

Range

37 mi
(60 km | 32 nm)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Yakovlev Pchela-1T 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. Typical fit is mission-related equipment for the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance role (cameras and sensors with real-time feed/data-link).

Supported Types

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Pchela - Base Series Name.

Pchela-1T - Main production model.

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)