ZALA 421-16EV

ZALA 421-16EV is a hybrid vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) mini-UAV developed by Russia's Zala Aero Group, announced in May 2020 as a VTOL derivative of the fixed-wing ZALA 421-16E. It combines rotary-wing vertical launch and recovery with fixed-wing cruise flight for monitoring and aerial photography of sites that lack a prepared runway or launch strip.

Overview

Zala Aero presented the 421-16EV in May 2020, trade press including Janes and Army Recognition reported at the time, as a multirole development of its existing 421-16E reconnaissance UAV family, which the Wikipedia article on the 421-16 line records as in service with Russia's Ground Forces since 2010 and exported to Mongolia's border guard. The manufacturer's own description markets the 421-16EV around a "unique adaptive system" that uses the aircraft's aerodynamic properties across both rotary and fixed-wing flight modes, trading some of the baseline 421-16E's longer endurance for the site flexibility that vertical launch and landing provide.

Design and capabilities

The manufacturer's product page gives a 10.5 kg maximum take-off weight, a 1.5 kg maximum payload and a 2,815 mm wingspan. Janes reported that four electric motors, two mounted on each wing, provide the aircraft's vertical lift before it transitions to wing-borne cruise; the manufacturer quotes a speed range of up to 110 km/h and an endurance of 1.5 hours or more, roughly half the 4-hour-plus endurance Zala Aero quotes for the non-VTOL 421-16E, reflecting the extra weight and drag of the lift motors. Quoted operational altitude is 100 to 2,000 m, with a video/communication range of 50 km or more. The manufacturer rates the airframe to winds up to 15 m/s and an operating temperature range of −40 °C to +50 °C, and lists navigation by an inertial navigation system with satellite-navigation correction, dual range-finders and a video navigation mode. Payload options include the manufacturer's own Z-16VHD60 HD video camera and the Z-16IRQ-V/L thermal imager with laser marker, among other interchangeable sensors from its "16E5"/"16E+" payload line. Both launch and landing are automatic.

Frequently asked questions

How is the ZALA 421-16EV different from the ZALA 421-16E?

It adds four wing-mounted electric motors for vertical takeoff and landing, letting it operate without a prepared strip, at the cost of roughly half the baseline 421-16E's endurance.

How long can the ZALA 421-16EV fly?

The manufacturer quotes an endurance of 1.5 hours or more.

What is the range of the ZALA 421-16EV?

50 km or more over its video/communication datalink, per the manufacturer.

How fast is the ZALA 421-16EV?

Up to 110 km/h, according to Zala Aero's published speed range.

What sensors can the ZALA 421-16EV carry?

Interchangeable HD video, thermal-imaging and photographic payloads from Zala Aero's own product line, up to a 1.5 kg payload limit.