Source: Reddit
Anyone that monitors news feeds and social media images and videos of the Russo-Ukrainian War will often notice that much of the land in which engagements happen is on flat and open fields punctuated by thin lines of trees. There is good reason for that and why Ukraine is called the “Breadbasket of Europe”; some 71% of Ukraine's entire land mass is agricultural and Ukraine is one of the top three exporters of grain such as wheat. As such, it should not be surprising that crop dusting aircraft would be in use to service farmers and their fields. Except, in this instance, insects are not the targets but instead, Russian drones are. Some bloggers have nicknamed the aircraft shown here “Stuka” after the Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber of World War Two fame (or infamy depending on one's outlook). While there is a very superficial Ju 87 resemblance based on the aircraft's angle in this smartphone video screen capture, the aircraft is in actuality a Zlin Z-137T Agro-Turbo agricultural aircraft.
Built by the Czech company Zlin Aircraft Otrokovice (formally Moravan Otrokovice), the Z-137T is derived from the earlier Zlin Z-37 Čmelák (“Bumblebee”). The prototype first flew in 1981 with production commencing in 1998 and when manufacturing ceased in 2007, a total of 56 aircraft were built (of which five were prototypes). A factory fresh Z-137T in 1998 carried a price tag of $230,000USD fully equipped for agricultural duty.
The Z-137T is a single-seat aircraft with maximum agricultural work take-off weight of 5,566 pounds. Length is 34.3 feet, height of 11.5 feet, a wingspan of 44.7 feet, and a wing area of 256 square feet. Power comes from a Motorlet Walter M601Z reverse-flow, axial-centrifugal turboprop engine which develops 490 shaft horsepower. The engine drives a three-bladed, constant-speed propeller built by Avia. At an altitude of 500 meters, the maximum cruise speed is 157 miles per hour while the absolute maximum speed of the Z-137T is 177 miles per hour. Climb rate is 827 feet per minute. The service ceiling is 18,054 feet and with 92.5 gallons of onboard fuel, the maximum range is 216 miles. The Z-137T needs 1,905 feet of runway for take-off and 2,365 feet for landing.
The Z-137T has a auxiliary 30 kilowatt drive system which operates the agricultural attachments such as chemical spraying gear or a rotary duster for dry fertilizers or pesticides. The former has a spray swath width of 131 feet while the duster has a 98 foot spread width.
Of course, this modified Z-137T has replaced any agricultural apparatus for missile pylons. The Z-137T does have four hardpoints, two per wing, which are normally used for external fuel tanks to increase the aircraft's range. Here, the two inner hardpoints are fitted with fuel tanks (which, as a note, cannot be released by the pilot) while on each outer hardpoint is a single Vympel R-73 (NATO reporting name AA-11 Archer) short-range, infrared homing air-to-air missile (AAM). As Ukraine has a sizable stockpile of R-73 missiles, many of them have been repurposed for use as surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and, as indicated here, allocated to drone-hunting aircraft. The Z-137T, because of its speed, is well suited to drone interdiction in comparison to jet fighters. The typical Geran-2 drone has a maximum speed of 115 miles per hour and so the Z-137T can catch up to them even at cruise speed. It can also launch the R-73 towards the drone without the worry of overtaking the target and risking getting caught in any detonation of the drone's warhead. This is very much a risk for much faster moving jet fighters. Also, the slower close rate of the Z-137T against a drone means a longer time for the pilot to line up the target and achieve the best chance for a missile lock. Finally, aircraft such as the Z-137T are optimized for low altitude flight and can better operate at lower altitudes. The R-73, when used by fighter aircraft, is tied into the pilot's helmet-mounted sight. With but a glance to the target, the information is sent to the missile prior to launch. It is not known if the Z-137T's pilot has a HMS or if targeting is dependent on getting close enough to the targeted drone for the R-73's seeker to pick up the heat signature. The R-73 has a top speed of Mach 2.5 thanks to its solid-fuel rocket engine and it can carry its 16 pound warhead out to a range of 19 miles.
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