Helicopter-type VTOL unmanned aircraft by ZALA Aero with a Wankel internal-combustion engine and ~3.12 m main rotor, for surveillance, reconnaissance, monitoring and light cargo. Civilian and dual-use.
| Country | Russia |
|---|---|
| Subcategory | VTOL / Hybrid |
| Subtype | Helicopter-type VTOL UAV |
| Role | ISR / civil monitoring |
| Russian-made | true |
| Classification | VTOL UAV (rotary-wing) |
| Mission | surveillance, reconnaissance, monitoring, pipeline/grid inspection, cargo transport |
| Datalink | video 25 km / radio 50 km, GPS/GLONASS |
| Variants | ZALA 421-02 |
| MTOW (kg) | 90 |
| Operators | Russia |
| Frame type | Helicopter / single-rotor |
| Length (m) | 2.86 |
| Propulsion | Wankel rotary internal-combustion engine |
| Range (km) | 50 |
| Combat-proven | No |
| Export status | limited |
| Launch method | VTOL |
| Autonomy level | autonomous and manual modes |
| Endurance (min) | 120 |
| Recovery method | VTOL landing |
| Year introduced | 2008 |
| Max payload (kg) | 25 |
| Max speed (km/h) | 60 |
| Standard sensors | EO color daytime camera, IR camera |
| Production status | limited/legacy |
| Service ceiling (m) | 3000 |
| Airframe / lift type | Single-rotor / helicopter |
| Control / autonomy level | RC line-of-sight – VLOS, Semi-autonomous (human-on-the-loop) |
| Domain | Aerial (UAV/UAS) |
| Mission / use case – civil | Delivery / logistics, Inspection |
| Mission / use case – military | ISR |
| Origin / supply chain | Military-grade |
| Propulsion | ICE – petrol |
| Range / endurance | Short range (50–150 km) |
| Signature / detectability | GNSS-dependent, RCS – small, RF-emitting |
| Speed regime | Medium (50–150 km/h) |
| Threat vector | Smuggling / payload delivery, Surveillance / reconnaissance |
| Weight / class | Class I – Small (20–150 kg), FAA >25 kg (Part 137 / waiver) |