Questions tagged [unmanned-aerial-vehicle]

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot on board. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by computers in the vehicle or under the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle.

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2 answers
162 views

Why was US-made Reaper drone downed but not Byraktar TB2?

Russian Su-27s used fuel dumping techniques on US-made MQ-9 Reaper (YouTube) and Turkish Byraktar TB2 (YouTube). MQ-9 Reaper plunged into the Black Sea, but TB2 didn't. Why was that?
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3 answers
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Why is there no video of the drone propellor strike by Russia

I've seen lots of videos of the Russian aircraft flying near the US drone, but I've yet to see a video of the reported collision with the drone's propellor. Is there no video of the strike? If not, ...
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5 answers
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Why would a fighter drop fuel into a drone? [closed]

According to the BBC: A feed from a camera fitted under the fuselage of the surveillance drone shows a Russian SU-27 making two extremely close passes while releasing, what appears to be, fuel as it ...
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2 answers
130 views

Would I need a drone license if the drone is flown by ai and not a remote?

I heard of some AI flown UAV's and was wondering. if I made my own AI flown drone/plane would I need a drone license? (Assuming I would use it for commercial purposes and not just for fun).
3 votes
2 answers
132 views

Why does the V-Bat not counter-rotate?

V-Bat is a VTOL aircraft built by a company called Martin UAV. It seems to have a single pusher propeller. But then why does it not counter-rotate to balance the rotation of the propeller? Any clear ...
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3 votes
1 answer
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Payload capacity of a quadcopter/helicopter with increasing altitude

I am trying to create a simplified model of a heavy-lift drone payload at different altitude during hover mode. I tried to derive it simply by considering that the thrust, $T$ is equal to the weight ...
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2 answers
210 views

Why does the P-175 polecat have two separate air intakes instead of 1 like most other UAVs?

I understand that the P-175 polecat has two engines which normally would mean one air intake for each engine, however other aircraft have used 1 air intake structure for two separate engines such as ...
7 votes
3 answers
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Expected behaviour in Linkloss scenarios - UAVs

Imagine a remoted piloted aircraft like MQ-9 being controlled by pilot on the ground. I was wondering what is the expected behaviour of the aircraft when the connection with the pilot is lost? Does ...
2 votes
1 answer
109 views

Does a non-current private pilot need to renew his license to obtain a Part 107 (Remote Pilot) certification?

I am a non current private pilot (haven't flown for about 15 years) that need a 107 license for work to fly DJI drones. my employer is not going to pay around $1,000 to get me current again (it's been ...
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1 answer
212 views

What are this sensor especially those at tips?

This is an image of an RQ-7 B UAV what are those sensors marked in red circles.
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2 answers
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How is pitch changed and lift generated in QNET VTOL (Vertical Take off & Landing)?

I am confused how QNET VTOL (Vertical Take off & Landing) works, especially how pitch is changed and lift is generated. I share a link of a relevant YouTube video and I am also sharing snaps of ...
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4 answers
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What is the largest aircraft ever successfully flown and landed with no pilot on board?

I'm not sure if this belongs here or on the drone site. What is the largest aircraft (not spacecraft) that has completed an entire flight, including takeoff and no- or minimal-damage landing, either ...
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1 answer
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Countries that have unmanned and manned fighter teaming projects [closed]

I have been wondering what countries currently have military programs related to teams of manned and unmanned fighter aircraft? For instance, I know that the US has several programs related to this ...
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5 answers
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Can you put a propeller on the back of a plane, and have it go forward?

So, I was thinking about how drones work, and I can't figure out how drones with propellers at the rear of the drone can still go forward. I'm not that experienced in aviation so if this is a basic ...
3 votes
0 answers
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Drone regulations - understanding how to figure out

I'll preface my question by mentioning that, while this might not be the strictly on-topic, I think this community is the best that can explain the flight zones and the flight regulations. I own a ...
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12 votes
4 answers
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Hovering for free

I'm thinking about light solar drones, and started wondering if you could hover while not using any power by flying downwind. Something similar to how prey birds hover while tracking the ground. It ...
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Could ducted propellers improve efficiency in small drones?

I have seen that a new electric airplane design has decided to a choose ducted propeller design somewhat similar to the one of jet engines, explaining this design choice with the fact the ducted ...
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9 votes
2 answers
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How AeroVironment's Switchblades steer their flight?

I'm very intrigued with how AeroVironment Switchblades: SW-300, and SW-600, steer their flight. There are plenty of images and animations and to my observation, none of the Switchblades have ailerons, ...
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1 answer
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Why do so many UAVS use a V-tail configuration?

How different is V-tail from a conventional tail in the perspective of aerodynamics & flight dynamics of aircraft? I have seen that many UAVs, like the General Atomics MQ1 Predator, LSI Amber, ...
23 votes
12 answers
7k views

Why aren't swarms of cheap consumer-level drones a viable anti-aircraft tactic?

In the Russia/Ukraine war, when it comes to cheap, consumer-level drones, I've only heard of them used for reconnaisance, not for anti-aircraft defence. But given that: In civil aviation, a single ...
3 votes
1 answer
167 views

Restricted airspace and lower limits

I am a new UAS pilot who will be flying agricultural fields. Naturally, my first flight location is close to a restricted airspace for military practice. I want to make sure I my flights are compliant....
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1 vote
1 answer
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Calculating forces on a hexacopter which create yaw

I'm trying to design a mathematical model of a hexacopter, and while researching the mechanics of the object I could not figure out how to calculate the total torque on the drone in 'Z' axis that ...
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2 votes
4 answers
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What is the decrease in power when a drone is in descent?

For a quad-copter, or a fixed-wing drone with quad-rotor formation, how much would the power of the motor decrease when a constant speed descent is needed to bring the drone back to the ground? Does ...
4 votes
1 answer
268 views

What rules exist that state what a competent authority do with a runaway drone?

In this AAIB accident investigation, published in 2021, a rather terrifying event is described in which a 3m long, 95 kg remote-control nearly-home-built drone is flown at speeds of up to 25 m/s below ...
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1 answer
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Is there a classification/group for UAVs with certain specs?

Is there a classification (like a name for UAVs that have max cruise velocity of 350km/hr) for UAVs please? So based on specs like range, velocity and altitude for example? Thanks, any resources with ...
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How was the AeroVironment Helios able to fly to the edge of space at no more than 23.5 kn?

The NASA/AeroVironment Helios holds the FAI record for the highest sustained horizontal flight at 96,900 ft (29.5 km) MSL. It reportedly spent more than 40 min above 96,000 ft. It could fly no faster ...
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In the US, what is the process for filing a DROTAM? [closed]

For drone pilots in the US, what is the process for filing a DROTAM?
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1 answer
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What’s the most efficient way to earn the drone / 107 qualification for a retired ATP Pilot?

As an ATP-rated retired pilot (30 years experience) and a recreational drone pilot, I'd like to get the type for UAD (drones). I am not 61.56 current. What would be the most time- and cost-efficient ...
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7 votes
1 answer
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How does drone reliance on GPS make it 'semi-stealthy'?

I saw this on CNN today. For months, US intelligence and military personnel in Iraq have been raising alarms about the risk to American forces from these newer, more sophisticated Iranian-made drones....
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1 answer
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What are these components in a DHS/CBP Predator drone?

In the following diagram showing the "DHS/CBP UAS Platform Configuration", what are these components and what are they used for? PPDM SPMA RCM RVT encoder
5 votes
1 answer
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Can we bring a rotorcraft like Ingenuity to an altitude of the same pressure as the one on Mars?

At Perseverance's and Ingenuity's location the atmospheric pressure is about 750 Pa (0.11 psi). On Earth, we find that pressure about 110,000 ft high. If we built a copy of Ingenuity, could we bring ...
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1 answer
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What airfoil is used on the MQ-1B Predator's wing?

There are lot of UAV's in todays world to be re worked on. The General Atomics series of UCAVs is quite remarkable. I have selected MQ-1B Predator UAV, for an geometric analysis project(undergraduate)....
31 votes
1 answer
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How do airports detect drones?

Recently, there's been a lot of coverage in the news of drones disturbing operations at airports. Do airports have a method to detect drones? If yes, how does it work? If it's still an emerging ...
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1 answer
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Is the FAA expected to issue more regulations soon on drone usage in rural areas?

There are exponential increases in funding for small drone startups. When is the next publication period for the FAA to issue regulations on use of small drones in suburban areas?
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Question on sUAS course in lieu of knowledge test for Part 61 certificate holders [duplicate]

If I am a PPL already, it appears that you can just take a course and pass a quiz to satisfy requirements for part 107 as such: "If you are a part 61 pilot certificate holder and you have a ...
4 votes
1 answer
323 views

On the LAANC map for sUAS operations, why does the permitted ceiling drop to zero southeast of KGFL?

Above is a screenshot1 from the LAANC map for obtaining authorization to operate sUAS (model airplanes, "drones", etc), centered on KGFL, which is Floyd Bennett airport near Glens Falls NY. ...
4 votes
4 answers
329 views

How do I keep the neighboring Remote Control Airfield from flying over my property?

I live in the North Georgia Mountains. The neighboring remote control airfield was put in front of my house where my mountain view is. I have no issue with them flying over their lease, just not over ...
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0 answers
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What FAA or other regulations apply to autonomous quadcopters?

I am a software engineer and hobby roboticist and I have just successfully built a quadcopter drone with a full-fledged microcontroller (running firmware that I wrote myself) inside of it, that flies ...
1 vote
1 answer
78 views

What classification of aerial vehicle would a manned quadcopter or octocopter be?

US here, if it makes a difference (w.r.t. FAA regulation, etc.). There's a new upcoming class of aerial vehicles, similar to drones, however they are gigantic and they are manned -- that is, manned (...
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4 answers
525 views

Why would a turboprop be better than an internal combustion engine for a UAV?

Let us consider a UAV, long endurance high altitude (~26,000ft). Why would a user (most probably military) go for a turboprop rather than an internal combustion engine?
2 votes
1 answer
195 views

Yaw rate of a multi-rotor

Is there any type of relation that limits yaw rate of a multi-rotor (i.e quadcopter)? Something like this relation for fixed wing aircraft: $R = \frac{v^2}{g \tan(b)}$, where $R$ is the minimum ...
3 votes
1 answer
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Is it possible to get permission to fly in the DCA “no drone” area?

The entire immediate Washington D.C. area is in a “no drone zone”, in a 15 mile radius from DCA. Are there ways to get an exemption for activities such as film making, property inspections, etc?
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1 answer
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Can I fly this six motor drone? [closed]

My body weight; 70kg, Drone weight; 50kg, Props length 0.7m, 6 motors (2hp each), Total weight 120kg, Total horsepower 12, Each motor runs 3000rpm, Please can I fly it. Thanks!!! drawing of the drone
2 votes
1 answer
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Is hybrid propulsion widely used by UAVs?

Is it common to have hybrid propulsion in UAVs used for terrain mapping with long endurance, short range and altitude? Is the technology and research mature enough to make hybrid propulsion? ...
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9 votes
4 answers
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Can the lift equation be used for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter?

I am currently working on a basic simulation of the Mars Helicopter Ingenuity, and I am having trouble interpreting the outputs I am receiving from the lift equation. The equation reads as follows: L =...
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What regulations govern UAV lights in Australia?

I'm a member of a student aviation club at my university, and we're working on a UAV. The club member working on our drone's power supply system has designed a system that uses externally-visible LED ...
0 votes
1 answer
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Why aren't we using drone blimp/hybird airship for delivery? [duplicate]

Currently, the heaviest weight a commercial drone (the type that delivers Amazon package, not the type that delivers tons of stuff) can lift is 4.5kg with a 30-45 minute battery life. A drone blimp/...
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3 answers
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Single vs Twin motor for an electric RC airplane

I'm designing a fixed wing UAV for a project. I need an airplane that can fly for at least 200 minutes. Obviously, it means a big battery and thus a lot of added weight. I've been debating whether or ...
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1 answer
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How to use a set of Pressure Transducer to mimic pitot static tube for VTOL vertical airspeed indicator?

May i know if i have 3 pressure transducer, 1 facing upwards and the other downwards to measure the vertical velocity of a VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft) and another 1 on the nose of the ...
4 votes
2 answers
707 views

How should a private pilot renew their part 107 certificate?

I got a Part 107 (Commercial Drone) Certificate by passing the test more than two years ago, so it's expired now. I just became a private pilot, and I know that private pilots can get a Part 107 ...
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