There are numerous ways to classify drones and as such, there exists no one standard to which drones can be grouped under. This is mostly because military/defence agencies have standards they use, while civilian users have their own classifications which are tailored to the specific use of the drone.
Below is a sample of what a typical classification would look like:
According to size, drones can be categorized under:
-Very small UAV's -Small UAV's -Medium UAV's -Large UAV's
Based off endurance in the air, drones can be categorized under:
- Very low cost close range UAV's (Range of 5km and endurance time of 20-45 mins)
- Close range UAV's (Range of 50km and endurance time of 1-6hrs)
- Short range UAV's (Range of 150km and endurance time of 8-12hrs)
- Mid-range UAV's (Range of 650km, mostly used for reconnaissance and surveillance)
- Endurance UAV's (Range of 300km and endurance of 36hrs. These are able to operate at altitudes of 30,000ft and are also used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes.
According to function or ability to perform particular tasks:
Quadcopters
These are the most common types of drones in use. They come in various sizes and they comprise 4 rotors which are attached to the main body of the drone.
Ready-to-fly drones (RTF Drones)
These come already assembled in the box. All one has to do is charge them up and go fly!
Delivery drones
Have a carrier or basket attached to the body where goods can be placed and transported to the customer.
GPS Drones
These are the kind that are linked to satellites via GPS. As the battery begins to run out in the course of flight, it is able to navigate itself back to the operator so that it gets charged for the next flight.
Trick Drones
Are small and fast. They are normally used as toys and are capable of amazing aerobatic manoeuvres
Helicopter drones
These use a single rotor to stay afloat and, as the name suggests, they bear semblance to actual helicopters.
Racing Drones
Are made in such a way that their maneuverability in the air is at its best. Unnecessary additions on the body of the drone that would increase drag are removed.
Photography drones
Have cameras attached to the body and are used to capture HD photos.
The lists above give a general guideline of what to look out for when getting a drone which will suit your needs. While doing so, it is also imperative to consider the pros and cons of using drones for whatever project you might have in mind.
Note that the list below caters to civilian drones and not military drones.
PROs
-Civilian drones are easily deployable especially since they are light in weight and small in size.
-They allow for easy access to hard-to-reach places especially for surveillance, search and rescue, media coverage among others.
-Many civilian drones are affordable especially since they are simple in design and do not come with advanced capabilities.
CONs
-They can be used for malicious intent such as unlawful acts on other aircraft, invasion of privacy among others.
-Civilian drones are smaller than military ones and this means that they are limited in capability in terms of flight time and endurance.
-Some are made of cheap material and are not sturdy. They can easily break apart in case of an accident.
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