Are you a fan of drones?
If you do, then you have come to the right article. Below, we will help you understand the different types of drones that are sold in the market as well as their uses. But before then, you should know that drones or quadcopters are classified according to the number of propellers, size, the distance they can cover, and their equipment.
Classification according to the number of rotor blades
Here we are going to classify drones according to the number of propellers they have. As such, we will look at single-rotor, multi-rotor, fixed-wing, and fixed-wing hybrid drone.
1. Single-Rotor Drone
This drone resembles a helicopter. Other than the tail rotor blade, it has only one large rotor blade. This type of drone is ideal for you if you are carrying heavy loads and in need of longer flight times. However, it requires regular maintenance and is usually more expensive than common drones.
2. Multi-Rotor Drone
Unlike Single-Rotor Drone, this type of drone uses many rotors to generate a forward thrust. According to comedronewith.com me a Multi-Rotor Drone with four rotors is usually referred to as a quadcopter. This is the most common type of drone which is used not only by professionals but also by the hobbyists. They are mostly used for photography and surveillance. This is because they provide a good framing position for photo shots.
3. Fixed-Wing Drone
This type of drone uses wings instead of rotor blades to generate a forward thrust. It uses the same principle as an airplane. It is used to move large distances and even stay close to areas of interest. Some Fixed-Wing Drones uses gas powdered fuel which enables them to stay in the air for up to 15 hours. The problem with this drone is that it cannot be used to take aerial photos and videos but can rather be used to take multiple images which need to be combined later to form a final image.
4. Fixed-Wing Hybrid Drone
This is a type of drone which combines both the features of rotor blade drones and fixed-wing-drones. Some of these drones resemble old airplanes. They usually have a wing in them and are rarely stable in the air. They were tried in the 1960s and the results were not quite pleasing. Because of its similarity to the rotor blade and fixed-wing drones, it combines the benefits of the two drones.
Classification according to the range
According to topracingdrone.com the distance that a drone can cover is usually important while deciding on the type of drone to purchase. By range, we mean the distance which your drone will cover before it loses signal. You will thus find different drones classified according to the range as discussed below.
1. Very low – range drones
They include those drones used as toys or for hobby purposes. They can only fly up to 3 miles and usually stay in the air for not more than 30 minutes.
2. Close – range drones
Unlike Very Close range drones, these drones can fly up to 30 miles and usually stay in the air for up to 6 hours. They are mainly used in reconnaissance.
3. Short-range drones
These drones can fly up to 90 miles and can stay in the air for close to 8-12 hours. They can be used for surveillance purposes.
4. Mid-range drones
These type of drones can cover up to 400 miles and are well suitable for gathering scientific information.
5. Endurance
These type of drones can fly up to 3000 feet, and can stay in the air for many hours. They are used for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes.
Classification according to size
You definitely want a drone sized according to your needs, here is a quick summary.
1. Very small drones
The size of these drones is almost equal to the size of a large insect. As such they are between 30 and 50 cm in length. They are mainly used indoors.
2. Small drones
Their size is usually greater than 50 cm but less than 2 meters. Most of them can only be launched by lifting and then throwing them into the air.
3. Medium-sized drones
Its wingspan measures between 5 and 10 meters. They are also too heavy to be carried by one person. It can be used to carry loads of up to 200 kg.
4. Large drones
They are extremely heavy and are used for combat purposes.
Classification according to their abilities
Are you interested in drones with special equipment? Below are some of them.
1. FPV drones
First-person-viewing drones are drones which are capable of relaying real-time videos and images. They are mostly used for filming purposes.
2. Drones with GPS
These types of drones use GPS to find their directions. As such they will always return to their base in case they run low on battery. They are used to record information about certain scenes.
3. Drones with RTF
These drones are always ready to fly. All you have to do is charge its battery. It is commonly used by beginners.
4. Drones with a camera
These types of drones possess an inbuilt camera for capturing images. They are used to record movies.
Credit where it is due
If you are interested in learning more about these types of drones, go to this guide about different types of drones. We used their resource as our primary source for writing this article, and they provide the best information about drones and their uses.
