How are drones classified?

1) Classification of drones by use.

According to the use, drones can be divided into three levels: military-grade, industrial-grade, and consumer-grade.

Consumer drones are the most well-known type by the general public. This type of drone is generally a gyroplane.

That is, multi-rotor UAVs, which are not large in size, endurance and flight distance are very limited, and the price generally ranges from a few thousand yuan to tens of thousands of yuan, which is mainly used for entertainment and aerial photography. The one that can be often seen on the market is DJI.

Drone. Industrial-grade drones have a higher technical threshold than consumer-grade drones. In order to meet the needs of the industry, UAVs are required to have longer endurance, longer flight distance, larger task load, and more reliable safety guarantees.

Military-grade UAVs are high-tech for war, and the technical requirements are very strict in all aspects.

2) UAVs are classified according to wing construction.

UAVs can be divided into fixed-wing, rotor (***, multi-rotor) and flapping wing.

1) Fixed-wing UAVs take off, land and fly through the power system and wing taxiing, with strong wind resistance, and take off by taxiing, catapult, vehicle-mounted, rocket boosting and aircraft dropping, etc., and landing methods include taxiing and parachuting.

2) Rotary-wing UAVs can take off and land at fixed points, and the requirements for take-off and landing site conditions are not high, and the flight is programmed through radio remote control or on-board computer. Fixed-wing UAVs have problems such as easy stalling and inability to hover in the air, so the demand for rotary-wing UAVs in the civil and military fields is very large, especially medium and large rotary-wing UAVs.

3) The flapping wing drone imitates the wings of birds or insects, vibrating the wings to generate lift, generally as a miniature aerial vehicle. This is given that the micro-drone has a propeller at 15 cm.

It can also produce the required efficiency, but wings are required for centimeters and below. The flapping wing is a viable way to take advantage of the aerodynamics of unstable air currents.

and the use of muscle-like drives.

Instead of an electric motor. However, at present, the technology related to flapping wing UAVs is still very immature and has hardly entered the practical market.

3) UAVs are classified from a technical point of view.

From a technical point of view, UAVs are divided into 6 camps, namely unmanned drones, fixed-wing UAVs, multi-rotor UAVs, and unmanned airships.

Unmanned paragliders, flapping wing micro UAVs. At present, there are many more composite UAVs, such as the combination of fixed-wing UAVs and multi-rotor UAVs, which have become composite wing UAVs that can take off and land vertically, with longer endurance but not much load.

Unmanned***: Generally, this type of UAV relies on one or two main rotors to provide lift. If there is only one main rotor, there must also be a small tail to counteract the spin forces generated by the main rotor.

The advantage is that it can take off and land vertically, the endurance time is relatively mediocre, and the load is relatively modest, but the structure is relatively complex and the control is also difficult. There are many configurations in China, the most common ones are single-rotor with tail rotor UAV, coaxial anti-propeller UAV, tandem UAV, cross-rotor UAV, etc.

There are four main types of drones:

1. Multi-rotor UAV.

Most of the small drones on the market are multi-rotor models, which are designed with multiple fans above the compact fuselage. Multiple propellers can generate powerful lift that provides precise control for the pilot.

Multi-rotor drones have the characteristics of small size and good control performance, making them a suitable choice for aerial photography. They can hover and take off vertically easily, adding versatility.

But quadcopters, hexacopters, and octocopters also have disadvantages, and the increase in rotors will make it more difficult for drones to learn and control. At the same time, these moving parts also consume additional electrical energy, which consumes battery energy more quickly. Most multi-rotor drones have less than an hour of flight time, which makes them more suitable for photography and videography.

2. Fixed-wing UAVs.

As the name suggests, fixed-wing drones look more like conventional aircraft and require a runway or catapult to launch. They don't have the vertical take-off capabilities of quadcopters and single-rotor drones, which can't hover.

The wing-based design also has a number of advantages, allowing the drone to remain in the air, improving aerodynamic performance, and improving the operational efficiency of the drone.

At the same time, it can extend the operation time without having to stop charging or replace the battery. They are also much faster than rotary-based UAVs due to the relative speed advantage of aircraft. These attributes make them ideal for driving long distances.

They don't have to run on batteries. Many fixed-wing drones instead rely on gasoline engines.

The flight time, range, and speed of fixed-wing drones make them ideal for surveillance and amateurs who want a purer flight experience. They tend to be more expensive and require more experience than other options on the market.

3. Single-rotor UAV.

The UAV combines the features of a miniature multi-rotor unit and a large monoplane installation. Their reliance on rotors helps these devices hover and launch vertically. They tend to be larger than tiny analogues, so they are suitable for carrying larger payloads.

At the same time, the lack of multi-motors makes them more efficient than multi-rotor models, and the increased efficiency means that single-rotor devices often use gasoline engines instead of batteries. Single-rotor drones are typically larger and more complex than other types of drones, especially multi-rotor models.

4. Fixed-wing hybrid vertical take-off and landing UAV.

Fixed-wing hybrid models are new drone technologies that combine the long-range flight time of fixed-wing drones with the vertical take-off capabilities of a rotary-wing device. This versatility makes this hybrid hardware a suitable choice for commercial drones, and some companies will also use these models for delivery purposes.

Some hybrid power plants are just fixed-wing UAVs with vertical lift rotors. Others adjust their position so that they fly straight up during takeoff and then move to a horizontal position in the air. There are even designs with wings and rotors that can rotate in one direction for vertical take-off, and the other in flight.

The hybrid VTOL drone is incredibly versatile, which makes it a suitable choice for long-haul flights.

UAV types are divided into national UAVs and civilian UAVs.

Civil drones: refers to unmanned aerial vehicles used for civil aviation activities;

National drones: refers to drones used in addition to civilian drones, including drones used to perform military, customs, and police flight missions.

According to the size of the operational risk, civilian UAVs are divided into: micro, light, small, medium, and large.

UAVs are divided into military UAVs and civilian UAVs according to their uses, small UAVs, medium-sized UAVs and large UAVs according to their take-off weight, and civilian UAVs are divided into teaching UAVs according to their use scenarios.

traversing machines, etc.

UAVs are divided into military UAVs and civilian UAVs according to their use, small UAVs, medium-sized UAVs and large UAVs according to take-off weight, and civilian UAVs are divided into teaching UAVs and traversal UAVs according to their use scenarios.

The first, second, third and fourth categories of UAVs are introduced as follows:

1. A type of non-calling stove elimination machine: also known as micro UAV, with a flight mass of less than 250 grams. Such drones are basically toys, because of the small batteries that can be carried and the limitations and knowledge of traditional remote controls, they can usually only fly over short distances.

2. Class II UAV: also known as small UAV, weighing between 250 grams and 25 kilograms. Drones in this category are designed to meet a wider range of commercial needs, including flight photography, surveillance, mapping, medical and emergency rescue, among others.

3. Three types of UAVs: also known as medium-sized UAVs, with a flight weight between 25 kg and 150 kg. This type of UAV is usually used by the ** department or military force for reconnaissance, search and strike against the enemy.

4. Four types of UAVs: also known as large UAVs, weighing more than 150 kg. This type of drone is mainly used for long-distance cargo transportation, rescue operations, military reconnaissance and other situations where it is necessary to carry a large amount of cargo or perform long missions.

Expand your knowledge – the characteristics of each category of drones

1. A class of UAVs: A class of UAVs has a very light flight mass, and the design focus is basically for entertainment or small applications. It can be easily flown and easy to maneuver, but its flight range is limited by the battery and traditional remote control.

2. Class II UAVs: Class II UAVs have a light flight weight, so their load and endurance are relatively low. However, this category of drones has higher accuracy and stronger control capabilities, making them more suitable for a range of commercial applications such as monitoring, surveying, and even ecological protection.

3. Three types of UAVs: The flight weight of the three types of UAVs is moderate, which is more suitable for long-term routes and large areas of wide area coverage. At the same time, this type of UAV is also often used by the military for radar detection, day and night reconnaissance and continuous combat and other military argument needs.

4. Four types of UAVs: Four types of UAVs have more payloads and longer endurance, and are able to carry goods or perform tasks over longer distances. It is commonly used in long-distance freight, military reconnaissance, water level monitoring and other fields.

According to the classification of drones according to their structural appearance, they can be divided into four categories.

1. According to the classification of use, it can be divided into three categories: military drones, civilian drones and consumer drones. 2. Classification of different platform configurations, UAVs can mainly include fixed-wing UAVs, rotary-wing UAVs, unmanned airships, parachute-wing UAVs, flapping wing UAVs and multi-rotor UAVs. 3. "Classification by scale (civil aviation regulations):

Micro drones, light drones, small drones, and large drones. 4. Classification according to activity radius: ultra-short-range drones, short-range drones, short-range drones, medium-range drones and long-range drones.