Sojka - overview of variants
E.50/1 - 1982, experimental drone designed by the 030 Research Institute. Fuselage nacelle and pusher engine, made of balsa, plywood and wood, Stihl engine from a chainsaw. wheeled landing gear, conventional take-off and landing.
E.50/2 - 1982, second aircraft of similar design but classic layout, based in appearance on their common predecessor RuBl (Rumrajch - Blažicek).
E.50/3 - 1983, successor of E.50/1 with fiberglass construction, takeoff from moving vehicle, landing on skids.
E.50/4 and 5E.50/4 and 5- 1984 - slightly modified copy of /3, experimentally carried AFA-39 camera and weather probe.
E.50/6-50/30 - 1985, a series of slightly modified experimental aircraft on which a test launch was made using additional rocket engines and later from a rocket-powered ramp on a Tatra 148 (later LIAZ 110.870), parachute landing, possible use as target aircraft for Mi-24D shooters, ... Engine mostly M-10, sometimes Stihl. The first machines perhaps had a horizontal tailplane at the level of the spars as on the /3, then it was placed on top of the vertical surfaces so as not to be damaged by fumes from the auxiliary rocket engine.
E.80E.80 - 1990, modified version with higher takeoff weight, M-15 engine, semi-shell seat frame, rectangular section fiberglass tail spars. Prototypes.
The Sojka V - a codename, and then probably the official name, used for the E.50 and E.80 after 1985.
Sojka VMSojka VM - 1992, E.80 with nacelle lengthened by 140 mm to allow room for user equipment, engine mostly M-115. Prototypes.
Sojka III - likely designation for the next generation of Sojka at the time the prototypes were built - unless it was already a Sojka III/TV from the start.
STV.125 - 1991, the first prototypes of the 3rd generation, the "Sojka TV", developed in cooperation with the Hungarian Army. unmanned reconnaissance aircraft with a take-off weight of 125 kg, engine usually M-125. The first two used the tail surfaces and wings from the Sojka VM. Most probably had a large glass overlay in the nose of the newly shaped nacelle with a Hungarian black and white TV camera and an AFA-39 camera. 8? pcs.
Sojka III/TVSojka III/TV - 1995, serial variant. Takeoff weight 145 kg, TV camera (different?) now fixed in the nose pointing diagonally down, skids molded from one piece, M-115R engine. Dozens of units, series 100.
Sojka III/TVM - 1996, TV camera, Camelia infrared sensor, M-115JT engine. Dozens of units, 200 series.
Sojka III/TVM 3.12 - 2005?, AR 74-1230 UAV engine, 3 XC-555P CCD cameras.
Soyka III/TVM 3.12 K - ?, only one forward facing camera.
Sojka III/TVM 3.12 KD - ?, rotating optical head instead of cameras. 340 series.
The Sojka III/ML - circa 2006, a scaled-down variant of the Sojka capable of launching from a ramp on a small off-road vehicle instead of a full-size truck. Perhaps only a prototype.