WHAT IS A DRONE?

INTRODUCTION HOPPER

What is a Drone?

Drone is the common name given to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that navigates by either human remote control (R/C) or autonomously by its own onboard microcontroller.

Another term, sUAV(Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) is used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to identify drones that weigh less than 55 pounds. The Hopper drones from For The Win Robotics’ kits are classified as sUAVs.

Types of sUAVs

Traditionally, like full size aircraft, drones could be fixed wing (like an airplane) or rotary wing (like a helicopter). Nowadays there are also aircraft and drones that combine the advantages of both configurations.

Hopper is a type of multirotor drone called a Quadcopter because it has 4 rotors. It can operate both by remote control using its controller or the FTW Fly app, and autonomously using the FTW code.

Other drones may have more rotors and they are then named for the number of rotors they have.

For example:

A hexacopter has six rotors

An octocopter has eight rotors

Aeronautics

the study of the science of flight

Autonomous Vechicle

A vehicle capable of operating or navigating without any human intervention

Drone

Drone is the common name for an unmanned aerial vehicle

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration is the division of the Department of Transportation that deals with rules, regulations, and guidance for aviation

Fixed Wing

Heavier than air vehicles that generate lift via wings and the aircraft's forward speed

Hexcopter

a rotary wing aircraft with six rotors

Octocopter

a rotary wing aircraft with eight rotors

Quadcoptor

a rotary wing aircraft with four rotors - Hopper is a quadcoptor

Rotary Wing

(also called a Rotorcraft) is a heavier that air vehicle that generates lift with rotor wings (or blades) rotating around a central shaft.

UAV

An aircraft with no pilots, passengers or other crew members on board. It it controlled through remote control, or operates autonomously with onboard programming.

sUAS

Small Unmanned Aerial System - is defined by the FAA as a UAV weighling less than 55lbs and its associated control systems.