5
Drone Technologies and Applications
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1001987
drones. Training and certification are needed to develop control capabilities to enable
takeoff, flight, and soft landing when a fixed-wing drone is launched. The difference
to be considered by the drone pilot is that a fixed-wing drone always moves much
faster than a forward, multi-rotor drone.
• Fixed-wing hybrid VTOL drone: Fixed-wing hybrid VTOL drones are a new
hybrid category that can also take off and land vertically, combining the advan-
tages of fixed-wing UAVs and the ability to hover. These drones are a mix of
fixed-wing drones with rotors attached to the blades and
rotor-based drones
(
Figure 6
). There are fixed-wing designs with no movement feature of vertical
lift engines, models with motors that provide forward motion, and various types
with propellers that can move up and down for takeoff and horizontally for
forward flight. Fixed-wing hybrid VTOL unmanned aerial vehicles, thanks to
its hybrid approach, this technology offers users the durability of a fixed-wing
design and the vertical flight capabilities of a rotor-focused design. With the
introduction of modern autopilots, gyroscopes, and
accelerometers in this field,
it has become easier to operate these drones.
Fixed-wing hybrid VTOL unmanned aerial vehicles have the advantages of flying
vertically and hovering, offering greater versatility than fixed-wing drones and the
Figure 4.
Octocopter.
Figure 5.
Fixed-wing drone.
Drones – Various Applications
6
durability needed to travel long distances with heavy payloads. On the other hand,
they could be better in both forward flying and hovering features, and the need for
specialized personnel in the flight and control of these types of drones is an important
consideration.
Drones, divided into four main groups according
to wing type, are used in aerial
mapping, inspection, surveillance, agriculture, and search-and-rescue areas. Drones
can be classified
according to size, from very small to large drones [3].
Drones size, very small drones, length of 150 mm, weight of 200 g; small drones,
length of 151–300 mm, weight of 200–1000 g; medium-sized drones, length of
300–1200 mm, weight of 1–20 kg; large drones length of 120 cm, weight is classified
as 20 kg. The payload a drone can carry will depend on the engine’s power and the lift
generated by the propeller in standard weather conditions.
According to the payload they can carry, drones are featherweight, with a weight
of less than 11 g and a load of 4–100 g. drones, light drones with a weight of 200–
1000 g, a payload of 150–270 g, medium-weight drones with a weight of 1–600 kg, a
load of 400–1460 g Drones, and heavy-lift aircraft with a weight of more than 160 kg
and a payload of more than 1000 kg are divided into four classes. Featherweight
drones are mostly used
for military surveillance, light and middleweight drones are
used in recreation and photography, and heavy-lift aircraft are used in the cargo
transport and cinema sector.
Drones by range, very close range drones, 5 km range and 1-h flight time; close
range drones, 50 km range, 6-h flight time; short-range drones, 150 km range, 12-h
flight time;
medium range drones, 644 km range, 24-h flight time and long-range
drones are divided into more than 644 km range and more than 24-h flight time. The
drones in this grouping are mostly used in military surveillance, aerial photography,
and mapping works.
For a drone to fly, it must have a power source such as batteries or fuel. Their
power sources classify drones as battery-powered, gasoline-powered, hydrogen fuel
cell, and solar drones. Despite the advantages of battery-operated drones, such as
lightweight,
sufficient energy storage, and high discharge rates, they have disadvan-
tages, such as short lifespan, rapid energy consumption, and burn risks. Gasoline
drones have important advantages such as not needing
expensive spare batteries
and charging stations, no need to wait for the storms to recharge, high flight speeds,
carrying heavy loads, and long flight times. On the other hand, it has undesirable
