R-18
Country: 
UkraineManufacturer: Aerorozvidka
Night bombing octocopter developed by the Aerorozvidka volunteer collective: the R-18 became famous for night raids on Russian armoured columns along the Hostomel highway in March 2022.
Night bombing octocopter developed by the Aerorozvidka volunteer collective: the R-18 became famous for night raids on Russian armoured columns along the Hostomel highway in March 2022.
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Data trust
- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- R-18
- Alias
- Aerorozvidka R-18 Octocopter
- Manufacturer
- Aerorozvidka
- Country
- Ukraine
- Year
- 2021
- Category
- Multirotor / Quadcopter
- Class
- Small (< 25 kg)
- Status
- In service
Performance
- Range
- 4 km
- Endurance
- 40 min
- Top speed
- 60 km/h
- Service ceiling
- 1,500 m
- Propulsion
- Octocopter elettrico (8 motori brushless)
Physical characteristics
- MTOW
- 22 kg
- Payload
- 5 kg
- Hardpoints
- 3
- Weapons
- Granate anticarro RKG-1600/RKG-3 modificate, granate da mortaio
Onboard systems
- Sensors
- Termocamera FLIR per bombardamento notturno
- Datalink / control
- Datalink criptato LOS
- Launch
- Decollo verticale
- Recovery
- Atterraggio verticale
Combat use
- ▸Battle of Kyiv (February-April 2022) — destruction of the Russian column on the Hostomel highway
- ▸Defence of Chernihiv and Sumy (spring 2022)
- ▸Night operations against Russian logistic vehicles in the Donbas
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Main operators
History
Built by the Aerorozvidka volunteer collective from 2014, the R-18 entered systematic service in 2021 and became the key improvised night bomber in the defence of Kyiv.
The R-18 is the most famous product of the Aerorozvidka volunteer collective: a hand-built heavy octocopter capable of carrying modified RKG anti-tank grenades fitted with a stabilisation kit and FLIR thermal camera, enabling cheap precision night bombing of Russian vehicles.
From the 'drone war in Ukraine' SEO angle, the R-18 is one of the most viral examples of crowdfunded warfare: over 200 units produced through international donations, with operational results including dozens of T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks destroyed in the early months of the war.