Looking towards the eastern sky.
November 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Looking towards the eastern sky.
What a photo does not show is how fast the auroa can change. At times, brief (fraction of a second) pulses spanned a large part of the sky. Overall, it was a great show.
November 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM
What a photo does not show is how fast the auroa can change. At times, brief (fraction of a second) pulses spanned a large part of the sky. Overall, it was a great show.
I managed to snap a couple of photos of the aurora last night (November 12). Brightness on the bottom right of this photo is, unfortunately, from the city lights. Camera was a Canon T6i with an EF-S 24 mm lens. Not too fancy but works well enough. Other folks there had much fancier kit.
November 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM
I managed to snap a couple of photos of the aurora last night (November 12). Brightness on the bottom right of this photo is, unfortunately, from the city lights. Camera was a Canon T6i with an EF-S 24 mm lens. Not too fancy but works well enough. Other folks there had much fancier kit.
24. Overall, the simple design & construction of Bars is really interesting. If you found this thread useful, please repost as a quote. Respectful comments are always welcome. Also consider reading my previous threads.
October 21, 2025 at 7:05 PM
24. Overall, the simple design & construction of Bars is really interesting. If you found this thread useful, please repost as a quote. Respectful comments are always welcome. Also consider reading my previous threads.
23. Its speed will make it a challenging target for russian air defence. It also means that we should not expect many good quality photos or videos of it flying. It will be tough to know how many of these are being used.
October 21, 2025 at 7:05 PM
23. Its speed will make it a challenging target for russian air defence. It also means that we should not expect many good quality photos or videos of it flying. It will be tough to know how many of these are being used.
22. Although similar in size to Peklo, this is a much simpler design so production should only be limited by the availability of engines. The "Army of Drones" logo tells us where the funding came from.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
22. Although similar in size to Peklo, this is a much simpler design so production should only be limited by the availability of engines. The "Army of Drones" logo tells us where the funding came from.
21. The warhead is about 40 kg and is the same as used in large Ukrainian drones. Big enough for soft targets including fuel storage tanks. If produced in large numbers, Bars will be trouble for the russians.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
21. The warhead is about 40 kg and is the same as used in large Ukrainian drones. Big enough for soft targets including fuel storage tanks. If produced in large numbers, Bars will be trouble for the russians.
20. Bars was obviously designed for mass production with a low number of parts and simple assembly mostly using adhesives. It probably has a top speed near 700 km/h. When one hits the ground there is not much left to examine.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
20. Bars was obviously designed for mass production with a low number of parts and simple assembly mostly using adhesives. It probably has a top speed near 700 km/h. When one hits the ground there is not much left to examine.
19. When one of these burns, there is not much left. The russians misidentified this one as a Bober but it is clearly a Bars. This also shows, very likely, a fuel filter.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
19. When one of these burns, there is not much left. The russians misidentified this one as a Bober but it is clearly a Bars. This also shows, very likely, a fuel filter.
18. A curious detail is a component that may be a tray (perhaps to hold electronics) or part of the fuel system. There is a handwritten "OK", likely for quality control. Odd is the label with "FX" but the writing on the side is a backwards "XF".
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
18. A curious detail is a component that may be a tray (perhaps to hold electronics) or part of the fuel system. There is a handwritten "OK", likely for quality control. Odd is the label with "FX" but the writing on the side is a backwards "XF".
17. There a consumer-grade GPS antenna but more interesting is a Globalstar satellite modem with an Orange Pi Zero controller. This most likely returns telemetry data including location so Ukraine will know if it made it to the target or, if lost, the location of air defenses.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
17. There a consumer-grade GPS antenna but more interesting is a Globalstar satellite modem with an Orange Pi Zero controller. This most likely returns telemetry data including location so Ukraine will know if it made it to the target or, if lost, the location of air defenses.
16. The flight controller (likely not mounted here) is a commercial grade Orange Cube+. The patch of adhesive tape may have secured the antennas. It is not clear what the channel in the fuselage is for. It appears that hatch covers are mostly secured with duct tape.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
16. The flight controller (likely not mounted here) is a commercial grade Orange Cube+. The patch of adhesive tape may have secured the antennas. It is not clear what the channel in the fuselage is for. It appears that hatch covers are mostly secured with duct tape.
15. The panel shows a separate switch for each fuel pump. Switch numbers likely follow the startup sequence. Note the white adhesive used to bond the fuselage pieces together.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
15. The panel shows a separate switch for each fuel pump. Switch numbers likely follow the startup sequence. Note the white adhesive used to bond the fuselage pieces together.
14. Fuel consumption is about 1 kg per minute so a large fuel tank is expected. This photo shows something that looks like a fuel tank but it seems too small. Since there are two fuel pumps, there may be two fuel tanks.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
14. Fuel consumption is about 1 kg per minute so a large fuel tank is expected. This photo shows something that looks like a fuel tank but it seems too small. Since there are two fuel pumps, there may be two fuel tanks.
13. This example shows the Swiwin ECU and wiring harness. The fuel system is a bit complex and uses two fuel pumps and three types of tubing. Unfortunately, none of the photos show an intact fuel system so it is difficult to sort this out.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
13. This example shows the Swiwin ECU and wiring harness. The fuel system is a bit complex and uses two fuel pumps and three types of tubing. Unfortunately, none of the photos show an intact fuel system so it is difficult to sort this out.
12. Two types of jet engine have been observed: a K450 by the Taiwanese company King Tech or a SW400 by the Chinese company Swiwin. The engine is simply clamped to the top of the pylon. Internal wiring depends on which engine is used.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
12. Two types of jet engine have been observed: a K450 by the Taiwanese company King Tech or a SW400 by the Chinese company Swiwin. The engine is simply clamped to the top of the pylon. Internal wiring depends on which engine is used.
11. This reported to be the remains of a Bars' wing, and it is about the right size. The root rib is similar to the rib shown in #4. The large tubular spar is consistent with a fairly simple design but there is little indication of how the wing & fuselage join.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
11. This reported to be the remains of a Bars' wing, and it is about the right size. The root rib is similar to the rib shown in #4. The large tubular spar is consistent with a fairly simple design but there is little indication of how the wing & fuselage join.
10. Each vertical stabiliser might be either attached directly to the core of the horizontal stabiliser or be a single piece. The wing root appears to be moulded directly into the fuselage but there is not a good view of this detail.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
10. Each vertical stabiliser might be either attached directly to the core of the horizontal stabiliser or be a single piece. The wing root appears to be moulded directly into the fuselage but there is not a good view of this detail.
9. The elevator use a simple tape hinge. Also shown here are two bulkheads that appear to bonded to the fuselage with double-sided tape. It is not clear what the white area in the fuselage bottom is for.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
9. The elevator use a simple tape hinge. Also shown here are two bulkheads that appear to bonded to the fuselage with double-sided tape. It is not clear what the white area in the fuselage bottom is for.
8. There is a white band along the edges of all the composite parts. This is most likely a double-sided adhesive tape (like 3M VHB). Using tape instead of a liquid adhesive is an interesting idea that strongly suggests the airframe was designed for mass production.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
8. There is a white band along the edges of all the composite parts. This is most likely a double-sided adhesive tape (like 3M VHB). Using tape instead of a liquid adhesive is an interesting idea that strongly suggests the airframe was designed for mass production.
7. The engine pylon is attached (likely bonded) to the fuselage top. Near the tip of the tail there is a small round cover (do not know what this is for). The jet engine is attached to the pylon with a simple clamp.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
7. The engine pylon is attached (likely bonded) to the fuselage top. Near the tip of the tail there is a small round cover (do not know what this is for). The jet engine is attached to the pylon with a simple clamp.
6. This provides a good view of how the horizontal stabiliser is moulded with the fuselage. There are at least two hatches in the top half of the fuselage. There is a boss moulded into the top of the tail section. This boss aligns and supports the engine pylon.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
6. This provides a good view of how the horizontal stabiliser is moulded with the fuselage. There are at least two hatches in the top half of the fuselage. There is a boss moulded into the top of the tail section. This boss aligns and supports the engine pylon.
5. This shows the upper half of the tail. Note how the horizontal stabiliser and fuselage are a single part. The servo pockets are accessed from the top of the horizontal stabiliser. Over each servo is an aerodynamic cover made from very thin plastic.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
5. This shows the upper half of the tail. Note how the horizontal stabiliser and fuselage are a single part. The servo pockets are accessed from the top of the horizontal stabiliser. Over each servo is an aerodynamic cover made from very thin plastic.
4. This messy crash shows many components including the batteries (probably made by Headway). The most interesting aspect is how the airframe is constructed. The fuselage is moulded in upper and lower pieces that include the horizontal stabiliser.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
4. This messy crash shows many components including the batteries (probably made by Headway). The most interesting aspect is how the airframe is constructed. The fuselage is moulded in upper and lower pieces that include the horizontal stabiliser.
3. One crashed in July and is shown here upside down and missing its nose. The jet engine has broken free. It clearly has an H-tail and a complex shape (non-cylindrical) fuselage. Visible are 3 supports for catapult or rocket-assisted takeoff.
October 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
3. One crashed in July and is shown here upside down and missing its nose. The jet engine has broken free. It clearly has an H-tail and a complex shape (non-cylindrical) fuselage. Visible are 3 supports for catapult or rocket-assisted takeoff.