Multirotor UAVs
- Simple control system
- For smaller aircraft
- For VTOL and hovering applications
- For safety using redundancy
| Quadcopter | Hexacopter | Octacopter |
|---|---|---|
| Four rotors | Six rotors | Eight rotors |
| Larger than quads | ||
| More expensive than quads | ||
| Greater payload capacity than quads | ||
| Higher altitude | ||
| Faster flight | ||
| Less agility and maneuverability |
Fixed Wing
Flying Wing, Blended Wing Body
-
For conventional forward flight - low drag and stealth
-
For heavy payloads
-
Most drones today operate in “Visual Line of Sight (LoS)“. Engineers and researchers are working on developing BVLoS drones
- NASA and FAA are participating in this effort. They are focusing on public safety drones like accident scene reconstruction drones, search-and-rescue drones
- Part of NASA’s ATM-X project
- One challenge is how to ensure public safety drones get priority of operation over commercial drones in the same airspace?
- NASA and FAA are participating in this effort. They are focusing on public safety drones like accident scene reconstruction drones, search-and-rescue drones