You can be forgiven for picturing quad copters when someone talks about drones. The globally popular four-rotor flying machines are available in a mind boggling variety, ranging in size from a couple of inches to several feet across. With the DGCA laying the basic groundwork for drone operation in India, things are starting to look up, especially for hobbyists and commercial use.
However, the term drone encompasses many kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles including those that can carry heavy payloads or the fixed wing unmanned aircraft used by military forces for combat and reconnaissance. These are some of the broad types and classifications, juxtaposed with the DGCA’s current weight-based classification.
They are similar to commercial airliners. They will have one or more propellers for forward motion but they cannot hover in one place. These can be powered by batteries (including solar) or combustible fuel. Since they can be built for extreme long range and high payloads, these are the ones typically used for aerial surveillance & combat.
SINGLE ROTORS They are almost like helicopters—one large rotor and a tiny one on the tail to stabilise and change heading. These can vary in size and can also hover in place, just like a real helicopter. Typically, having a single rotor means higher efficiency and stability—which also means these drones can fly for longer than multi rotors.
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MULTI ROTORS These are the most common type of drones and they usually have between four to eight rotors. Almost all drones used by hobbyists, for aerial photography and education, are quad rotor drones. Like single rotors, these can also hover in place but they usually have limited flying time (battery life of anywhere between 5 to 30 minutes).
