Russian Recoilless Gun Drone

[@TheArmourersBench]

Be sure to check out the accompanying article for this video here - armourersbench.com/2024/09/13/russian-recoilless-gun-drone/

[@ianslaby5703]

IIRC the Soviets were fascinated by the concept of recoilless rifles mounted to aircraft in the 20's and 30's as well.

[@quentintin1]

they also mounted a massive one on the rear deck of a destroyer

[@herptek]

​@@quentintin1One thinks of heavy weapons when one comes across the phrase.

[@guillaumehoudard114]

i'm always amazed by the creativity bring by war.

[@overlord1676]

Nothing speeds technological development like war

[@elitearbor]

"There is nothing in Man's industrial machinery but his greed and sloth: his heart is in his weapons." G.B. Shaw

[@herptek]

This is a pretty stupid idea.

[@bastiaan7777777]

those aluminium frames could be milled out in the center, there is no need for aluminum frame beyond the support brackets... 0:26 the whole aluminum part beyond the support of the warhead is useless. those electrical motors are made to lat ages can get rid of the external housing , they a e ment to last years, but in this, hours are enough.... the housing plastic around antennae , just loose it.... soo many optimizations can be made.... Steel nuts >? wow

[@danielmartin7838]

G.B. Shaw is wrong…dead wrong

[@johnsmith-jq1uc]

will you be having a look at the myriad of thermite drones?

[@markfagohii8632]

He said he will in the credits

[@TheArmourersBench]

I will indeed. Been tracking uses of them.

[@johnsmith-jq1uc]

@@TheArmourersBench sorry about that, they are cool

[@johnsmith-jq1uc]

@@markfagohii8632 sorry

[@sveng35]

​@@johnsmith-jq1uc Not sure if I'd describe it as 'cool'.

[@smorrow]

I "designed" (i.e, imagined) a drone-with-a-gun a year or two ago, what I settled on was - for efficiency, Tom Stanton's helicopter/drone hybrid - gun barrel is along/inside the tail boom, for the most gun-to-aircraft ratio - muzzle faces the rear of the thing (s.t. the action of the gun is in or near the body of the aircraft) - this is so you fly to the place with the aiming optics facing opposite the direction of travel, no need for lens caps like the Venera probes - telescoped ammunition, because push-through feed-and-ejection seems a good match for a remote system - this style of feed-and-ejection would work well with a carousel feed system that can be indexed to any given loaded round instead of first-in-last-out (like a magazine) or first-in-first-out (like a belt). May or may not be useful When I was still thinking about quadcopter, I thought it would be good to have a monopod, and control software that's aware of this and doesn't waste energy on all propellers all of the time. Especially for urban.

[@napalmholocaust9093]

The barrel should be part of the coptor instead of using a different structural member and adding payload.

[@RustyBear]

Having 2-3 GP-25 on a drone would be cool. Kinda like a re usable FPV drone with direct fire

[@JeffBilkins]

Those still have a lot of recoil for a drone. Usually they just gravity drop the 40mm grenades (often with 3D printed stabilisers)

[@RustyBear]

@@JeffBilkins but u wouldnt have direct fire and most of the 40mm grenades are dropped from things like mavics, also an fpv can be quiet stable and it can carry more

[@morgansmit8564]

Thank you!

[@brian5832]

Use a harmonica style side by side or cluster of barrels with buck and bird shot shells with a blank shell and restricted barrel behind each

[@hughjass7914]

At least you can get the drone back.

[@nickcody7257]

This seems like a great application for Gyrojet rounds.

[@BackyardDogPark9862]

Gyrojet rounds and communism: neat ideas that have never worked out practically. Like, not impossible from an engineering perspective, but there are much better options out there which does the thing better.

[@mountainmanmike1014]

@@BackyardDogPark9862 like what?

[@smorrow]

@@mountainmanmike1014 Capitalism

[@BackyardDogPark9862]

@@mountainmanmike1014 Regulated capitalism produces much better results than communism, and recoilless projectiles (like from the WW2 era M18 recoilless rifle) are much more accurate and harder-hitting than gyrojet projectiles. I saw a youtube video where a guy fired gyrojet ammo from a pistol into watermelons five feet away, and the projectile was BARELY able to break the skin of the watermelon, because the projectile didn't have enough room to get up to speed. And if the gyrojet nozzles aren't machined EXACTLY PERFECT then the projectile goes whipping off in some random trajectory.

[@jebise1126]

@@BackyardDogPark9862 rpg use gyrojet rounds. they are just called differently

[@markmonaghan2309]

Fantastic thanks again

[@donwyoming1936]

It amazes me they go through all of this, when all you need to take down another drone is some fishing line trailing behind your drone.

[@chadlimestall9201]

"tail spin" ... brother it has no tail. It is a symmetrical quad copter

[@neglectfulsausage7689]

Id already conceived this idea before this became real precisely to keep drones steady. Its in my garage.

[@veronicalogotheti1162]

Good idea

[@thebudman1980]

Thought of a new idea. A drone tucked in artillery that takes it most of the way then the artillery casing splits in half and a drone unfolds in air and then can do recon or operate closer to an enemy having the extra range. Edit i mean launched out of a m777 howitzer artillery for example and not from tube similar to a mortar tube the switchblade is launched from. Also longways on both sides you rig a way for this to open in flight to release the drone to then go hunt. Over the horizon as fast as a shell would normally get their. Also what if you had a artillery round that explodes but extends wings after going so far to extend range. Artillery that glides. New shell and new launch system to have powerful artillery that glides but i would still like to launch an actual drone from a howitzer to go hunting for the enemy. Then the drone can call in artillery. I still think it would be cool to extend wings half way into flight for artillery. Artillery with maneuverability.

[@badgerbusiness9059]

They got that, shoots 100 at a time in a swarm. Think it's German, but don't quote me. They have autonomous loitertime, and can pick their own targets independently of an operator.

[@ClayishWall]

Sounds like the US made switchblade

[@thebudman1980]

@@ClayishWall no switch blade is fired out of a mortar tube and isn't fired out of a m777 howitzer for example.

[@thebudman1980]

@@ClayishWall i edited my comment.

[@downandout992]

I've been expecting this development for a couple of years. Next will come flechette rounds.

[@NM-wd7kx]

Have we seen any use of RPG warheads from drones, fired, rather than just dropped? I'm imagining the rocket fired directly downwards, probably through the middle of the drone. I imagine it'd result in increased accuracy, but there's probably something I'm missing there I don't know if it would be truly effective against bunkers, but I imagine it would have a hell of suppressive/morale effect

[@TheArmourersBench]

Yep check out last week's video and Wild Hornets just shared a vid of them testing and RPG-18 on a Queen Hornet.

[@4DCResinSmoker]

Gravity works, and costs nothing to use.

[@NM-wd7kx]

@@TheArmourersBench I got the idea while watching that AK footage, I don't know how I missed the Georgian legion's clip

[@ericthemidget9685]

The British have a drone, although slightly larger, with a mounted and aimed recoilless gun already passed prototype stage.

[@lm645]

And costing 100x the price?

[@ericthemidget9685]

Also 100 times as effective.

[@fizkallnyeilsem]

scary advancements, as much as i think battle technology in combat warfare games are cool, it scares me to the brim, just imagining tommorrows creations that are so effective, that somehow i n the place am living in can be affected

[@drgonzo305]

The Ukrainians got one that fires a RPG-18 and video of it actually working

[@marcelOberauer]

This channel already show it, it was actually a Georgian unit who share it.

[@TheArmourersBench]

There's another one now too, Wild Hornets are developing one as well!

[@sirsmeal3192]

It needs a revolver ammo feeder with the loaded rounds having the counterballance built into the shell itself.

[@AcroNerdFPV]

Payload is rather small for a even smaller projectile for gun that only shoot one round. Drone v Drone should be with a small ammo like 9mm, 5.7, or 22lr. It just needs to poke a hole in mainboard, ESC, or battery.

[@JinKee]

look at how big those friggin motors are relative to the size of the drone frame! how does it not shake itself apart?

[@robertmueller6979]

Just use breakaway straps to hold a tube barely strong enough to direct your charge. A thin wall carbon cloth tube will do. Plug the rear and point forward. Use black powder for more of a push than bang. Black powder allows for a much thinner tube saving weight and adding more lead. Plenty strong enough to take down other drones at a good distance. When your charge goes off the straps release the tube to shoot backwards and away from the drone taking away the rearward kinetic energy of the shot without stressing the drone beyond having to withstand the strap release. They shot blunderbuss loads from the hip for the same effect. Rather than shoulder the gun, and break their shoulder in the process, a fully loaded military blunderbuss was shot from the hip and the user "pivoted" to absorb the recoil. In this case the strap is the pivot set to release just as the charge leaves the tube.

[@josedorsaith5261]

Wonder if anybody has tried a pressurized tube of expanding foam. Liquid upon firing, it quickly expands and hardens. Would wreak havoc with a drone

[@tommeakin1732]

I've wondered about if shotguns could be strapped to drones and have broad use, against man and drone. Does anyone know about how effective flechettes are against common forms of body armour? Normal buckshot might be somewhat limited with how common body armour seems to be, but more luck might be found with flechettes. While you're right to say that a one-shot gun limits likelihood of hits in one way, a shot spread also makes it a lot easier to hit what you're aiming at. I could see a world where we're seeing very large bore recoilless shotguns firing hundreds of flechettes in quick strikes, and flying back to a forward camp to load up again. With a big shotgun shell fired at the right range, you could theoretically hit several men. The main limiter, to my mind, is barrel weight. If they can easily make very light barrels, it could become viable to have drones flying around with many barrels, giving many shots. Doing that would be a lot simpler than working out an autoloader (which could be lighter than just adding more barrels). Overall, it could be a lot more efficient than hauling around a bunch of grenades.

[@thebudman1980]

I thought of another use they most likely already thought of. A drone to lay fog / smoke for cover. The drone could possibly carrier more smoke? I was watching a fogging drone for example on Chinese KZbin like app. And i couldn't believe the amount of fog that hits the ground and oddly comes from the top part of the drone like the propellers force down the fog bug spray. So in this example you could use smoke. They usually use a solid to make smoke but you could have plenty of snoke canisters on drones to smoke out an area. Rather than doing this in hand or via a tube launch method. You can make smoke exactly where you want with a drone.

[@andyshaw5378]

Could you set one up with two shot gun cartridges set back to back.

[@TheArmourersBench]

In theory yeah you certainly could.

[@MechanicalMercenary]

Stacked electronic ignition ammo could give you maybe 4 or fibe shots. 8 total firing forward and backwards at the same time to equalize. The backshot rounds could be a dummy just matching weight and charge

[@smorrow]

Yeah the Metal Storm principle is really the best thing for firepower to weight ratio. But only if you care about that ratio to the exclusion of everything else.

[@TheEngadine]

Doubling the weight of a shot (ammo and counterweight) in a single gunshot drone is, IMHO, a bit far from being a winner concept.

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Single shot is all you get without advanced ignition. If one were so inclined, stacked charges and ball could be used. They just need to be timed to only blow the ends then sequentially deeper. A lead projectile Is a gas seal if it can't move bakwards. Eighteenth century saw 'automatic assault rifles, you just mirror it and use electronic ignition.

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Projectile gas seals rely on being a few thousandth overbore. Something like that is muzzle loaded anyway. Can't say about shot-cups. Too many designs. Not many are probably made to seal without a flared base anyway and would leak from the top.

[@BackyardDogPark9862]

A mobile shotgun platform!

[@Spectrecontrol]

They might work better with some kind of dragons breath shot rather than regular steel or lead

[@SueMyChin]

Drones will not go into a tail spin, that's not how they work. This is purely designed to stop the recoil hurting the accuracy of the gun. Either way, it's a non-starter. Not surprised that it was concocted by someone who hasn't flown an FPV drone before.

[@obsidianjane4413]

More the recoil not wrecking the frame, motors, electronics, etc. since they are lightly built and not designed to withstand lateral (or any) shock loads. Accuracy, esp. in a single-shot weapon is just a matter of aligning the weapon with the camera and whatever is being used a sight reticle.

[@SueMyChin]

@@obsidianjane4413 You can't align the camera with the weapon, because of the height over bore, camera on top, weapon on bottom exaggerates it. Also, these drones are absolutely made to take shock loads, go watch some FPV freestyle videos, they take a complete hammering.

[@obsidianjane4413]

@@SueMyChin You have no idea what I'm talking about. Look up the word "parallex".

[@h9hkk6155]

​@@obsidianjane4413 aiming a shotgun is Extremely easy, camera on an fpv drone if pointed parallel to the barrel will work just fine, and height over bore is small in that case. Also recoil won't do anything to a drone, just move it a little bit in the opposite direction

[@josedorsaith5261]

Well it beats duct-taping a kitchen knife to a drone and flying it at someone

[@thingamabob3902]

Then jousting with a lance it is ^^ ... lance could have a tiny explosive tip ( I vaguely remember there was a WH40K unit of "alien horse" riders having those. Weird shit )

[@51ghostrecon]

They have to Change the Type of Drones they're using..

[@ptonpc]

The IRA did something similar. They used a tin of bean (If I remember correctly?) as the counterweight.

[@h9hkk6155]

Or a pack of cookies 🍪😅 digestives I think 🤔

[@ET-mr4iu]

On reading the title, I was expecting an SPG-9😄

[@TheArmourersBench]

Give it time lol

[@ET-mr4iu]

@@TheArmourersBench I admit that the payloads of drones always surprises me.

[@TheArmourersBench]

@ET-mr4iu increasing all the time, maybe not to SPG-9 weights though haha

[@hansgerber2075]

in prinzip its the same like the german Panzerfaust of 2nd World war. One load for prepelling forward and a second behind to eleminate the recoil. Watch Wikipedia at Panzerfaust.

[@ThatSockmonkey]

I really don't see this being particularly useful. The barrel length is too short for accuracy at range, single shot but very low yield, might be useful against slow moving surveillance drones, but I dunno.

[@keybrent64]

Why do they always hide Brother Hobby label on the motors?? 🤷🏻‍♂😂Those are clearly Avenger motors

[@SueMyChin]

Probably asked them to so the west don't turn on their brand.

[@HRM.H]

Wont be long till these drones have a seperate aiming for the rifle and will be operated by two drone operators.

[@bigboi7817]

Finally someone who sees it. All that fancy gimbal tech and no attached rifles

[@DavidMarcus1525]

What's the next arsenal these flying terrors will get, loudspeakers?

[@JeffBilkins]

Loudspeaker drones are already a thing, iirc in recent Kursk operation.

[@TecraTube]

hyperthermic needles

[@NM-wd7kx]

​@@TecraTube typo, I know, but white hot pins spines on a quad, like some hellish, winged porcupine, sounds fucking terrifying.

[@sirsmeal3192]

Microwave focused beams...

[@NonConformistPsyche]

An angry chihuahua

[@jebise1126]

drones hitting drones... i dont know. they are just not in air for very long.

[@Soundofwindonsand]

Needs a shovel

[@randomsnow6510]

gun drones just seem like a bad idea atm

[@EditioCastigata]

Outdated design. 200 years ago or thereabouts recoil has already been taken care of in canons by directing that force through oil and over a piston into a cylinder, to compress the medium (gas) it held. No need to eject any counterweight.

[@thingamabob3902]

Hm interesting. Though it adds a system which weighs something ( probably more than a simple counterweight ) and remains after shot ... the counterweight you shoot out the back is gone. Not a great liability with 2 gun tubes but if you add more it could be a hindrance. I would actually go for the simplest and basic possible solution ... low recoil shotgun shells fitted into an aluminium holding "honeycomb" just big enough to hold the shell in place and the back of the shell itself fitted with a counterweight and electrical firing primer ... shell-with-counterweight ignites and gets propelled backwards. No need of an actual barrel ( losing accuracy and range but can have a lot more ammo payload ).

[@EditioCastigata]

@@thingamabob3902 With recoilless, since it’s reusable, you’re ahead on the second shot-and could pack a third…

[@ff05t81t]

We stray closer and closer to Black Ops 2

[@NonEuclideanTacoCannon]

I'm not really seeing the point. You only get one shot? Cheap FPV drones will always be one-way vehicles, the range simply isn't there to fly to a target with the added weight of a munition an then return. So why a "recoilless gun" and not, say, a MON-50? I appreciate the creativity, but I don't think it is a very good idea.

[@ljubomirculibrk4097]

Lossing altitude, under 10 meters, cuts off control signal. Since its near ower horisont. Thats why most FPV drones speed up in straight trajectory in the end. Plus EW systems haw more infuence close.

[@obsidianjane4413]

Its for shooting down other drones. Vertical dropping something on them is much more difficult than lining up and shooting something like a shotgun at one horizontally.

[@NonEuclideanTacoCannon]

@obsidianjane4413 that makes a little more sense I suppose

[@dougcharles5004]

A one shot wonder 💭 great idea though. If you have the right weapons package attached to your drone, you could easily create massive disruptions and end a war in short order. That being said the hard part is finding someone smart enough to make it happen 🤓in today’s world I think we are safe from that. 😂

[@johndane9754]

Remember; recoilless, isn't.

[@bullygram]

Belarus tried this in 2023. Also ww2 one US pilot used bazooka in his plane and hunted tanks!

[@popinmo]

i make a worlds light 2lb ar15 that is zero recoil i bet it would be useful for drones

[@thebudman1980]

You are already probably aware that a new thing Ukraine is doing is landing drones and waiting for the Russians. They turn the drone off. Possibly in standby mode until a signal is received to power on and spin up blades. Alternatively this could be done with an alarm clock time function to be time based.

[@Tuxedo-qz6lj]

hello my 7 other viewers here in the first minute

[@BigMakBattleBlog]

i dont think itd work..signal delay to drone would fuck aiming and its an FPv they aint stable to stary with. looks like a vog 17 size barrel. too wide for 12 gauge.. we get mad inventors all the time..

[@stcredzero]

There was an experiment from about a decade back, which implemented guided 0.50 caliber rounds. Why not just have miniature guided missiles on such drones?

[@h9hkk6155]

Drone itself is a guided missile of sorts

[@jonahhekmatyar]

Lol, lmao even. What is the point of the drone at that point?

[@stcredzero]

@@jonahhekmatyar The ability to hit multiple targets.

[@stcredzero]

@@h9hkk6155 To Quote Daffy Duck, "The problem with that trick, is you can only do it once."

[@h9hkk6155]

@@stcredzero same as with all the guided missiles, or even un guided, but drones are Cheaper. And there's also drones that can drop stuff - those are reusable)

[@chiseldrock]

Ukraine had this 3 weeks ago

[@CT-69141]

WW2 bazooka trip wire/ mine...... Kinda

[@IsraeliF35]

Even terrorists adapt..

[@raztaz826]

All that heavy steel hardware, yuck!

[@lol22964]

Just make metal gear already

[@sonkefh]

Ffff Russia!!!

[@mrfoxgamer4202]

Intresting? Sure. Practical? Surely not. Kamikaze drone can do as many flybys it needs untill contact. That thing misses once and returns to reload maeby with hostile UAV hot on its tail if shot is heard by target drones operator 😂. Very much cant see an use for this.

[@RoboArc]

1 shot, not worth it.

[@Chiller11]

I’m thinking the aiming and single shot limitations would keep this thing from being terribly useful.

[@JinKee]

mount two AK-74s pointing in opposite directions to a drone for recoilless ak

[@TheKakan1337]

they had to steal pipes and fittings from the Ukrainians to build it

[@stanleylee8084]

I think Ukrainians can do better in this field.

[@nikolajc7617]

This is BS big time.

[@Llamadosalvaje]

🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 SLAVA UKRAÏNI 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

[@unter1103]

Slaves UK and Rain?