【 DRONES 】 What types are there and how are they evolving in 2022?

Drones are undoubtedly one of the artifacts that we most associate with a science fiction future. A couple of decades ago the idea of ​​a remote-controlled, unmanned flying vehicle sounded like the turn of the century. for society in general.

But today, this idea is a reality and there are thousands that have been manufactured so farboth for war purposes, for a change, and for audiovisual productions or even home deliveries.

In this article we are going to talk about these innovative inventionswhich although they seem futuristic, the reality is that their origin goes back several centuries in the past.

What are drones or unmanned aerial vehicles?

First of all you have to know what is understood as a drone. A drone is an aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicle (VANT, for its acronym in Spanish), that is, any flying device that is controlled remotely. Today, drones have been very well received due to the large number of uses and applications that we can give themproviding commercial, professional and social value.

To give you an idea, a drone is similar to a model airplane but with more advanced technical aspects, since the possibility of incorporating cameras, sensors, GPS or even computers makes them much more versatile and versatile than any other aircraft with similar characteristics. The initial applications of this technology were developed in the military field.for missions of all kinds, today its use has been extended to the general public.

History and chronological evolution of drones

Next We tell you the biggest milestones in the history of dronesthose that show the path taken until their invention, and above all give us details of how they have evolved since then.

Let’s see next;

• The Austrian Balloons (1849): The idea of ​​an unmanned aerial vehicle is quite old and it was the Austrians who came up with it in the first place. In 1849 they launched a series of unmanned hot air balloons with bombs towards the city of Venice, Italy.
• USA sentinel balloons (1896): A few years after the American Civil War, a series of balloons were launched from the Pontiac River to Washington DC in 1896.
• Tesla invents radio control (1898): In an act in New York City, the inventor demonstrated the first radio control in history by remotely operating a boat in a pond in Madison Square Garden, this being the first application of radio waves in history.
• Archibald’s Exploding Planes (1916): The English soldier Archibald M. Low was inspired by Tesla’s discoveries to oversee the development of a series of military aircraft loaded with explosives that were operated by radio control.
• Sperry’s Catapult (1918): Inventor Elmer Ambrose Sperry develops a catapult capable of launching drones that were programmed to swoop down and explode after traveling a certain distance with more than 300 pounds of TNT, enough to wipe out an entire town.
• They develop the Firebee (1951): After the Second World War, the United States became interested in developing unmanned aircraft to prevent another war scenario from claiming human lives. The most important project was the Firebee, which was able to fly without problem for 2 hours, and which was tested for the first time in the early 50s.
• USA Fireflies (1964): After the spy Gary Powers was caught by the USSR in 1960, the United States began to replace this type of operations with humans by drones, with the “Fireflies” being the first fleet of drones manufactured in 1964. This This fact is somewhat mysterious since no one knew of its existence until that year in November, China claimed to have shot down a US reconnaissance aircraft in its territory.
• The Deadliest Drones (1990): after the success of the “Fireflies”, of which thousands were manufactured for many missions until then, in 1990 new inventions were developed to make drones go from being simple reconnaissance planes to authentic combat ships, being equipped with missiles . The Predator was the first of its kind to be manufactured, although it would not be used in combat until 12 years later.
• The Predator in Action (2002): The Predator is possibly the most important combat drone in history and the one that would give way to the most modern models. This aircraft was first used by the CIA in 2002 to destroy a target in Khost, Afghanistan, where the terrorist Osama Bin Laden was believed to be located.
• Quadcopters appear (2010): the drone we all know today is the quadcopter, which is used to take aerial shots and create audiovisuals from a unique point of view.

How do radio controlled drones work?

For understand the operation of these quadcopters You have to know its structure. Drones consist of 4 rotors that allow them to have a great propulsion to rise quickly into the airspace and the construction materials used are very light, carbon fiber type.

To achieve maximum stability, the movement of the drone propellers is opposite in direction 2 to 2, that is, two propellers rotate in one direction and the other two propellers rotate in the other. These flying robots are controlled by radio frequency at a certain distance, either by a joystick control or by our smartphone or tablet.

What parts make up a radio control drone?

We can distinguish 2 clearly differentiated parts, the structure or base and the electronic components, so let’s see each of its parts broken down:

Base structure of radio control drones

• It is the primary area where all the other parts of the drone will then be assembled and placed, its purpose and main virtue is to minimize the vibrations generated by the motors that will rotate the propellers. To determine the construction quality of a drone, we must take into account that its main structure is made of carbon fiber, being much lighter and more resistant than plastic ones.
• Propellers: As we explained previously, what characterizes these aerial devices are the incorporation of 4 propellers mounted in a quadrangular shape at the ends of their structure, each propeller requires an individual motor and their movement is in the opposite direction 2 by 2, which It gives the RC drone great stability in flight.
• Engines: The engines of these small flying vehicles are placed just below each of the propellers, right at the corners of the structure of our aircraft to provide better propulsion.

Electrical components of a remote controlled drone

• Electric speed control: It is one of the essential components of these quadcopters, it is responsible for controlling and varying the direction and speed through the control board in flight.
• Drums: It is the one that feeds and gives electrical energy to all the electrical components of the device.
• Remote control: It is the device that allows us to have control and management of the drone at a certain distance, there are models of remote controls type joystick or joystick. Currently there are mobile phones or tablets capable of operating as controls for remote-controlled drones.
• Controller board: In order for the RC drone to maintain correct stability in flight, the control board transmits all the information necessary for this to happen to the electronic speed control.

Do I need a license to fly radio controlled drones in my city?

Yes, To be able to fly drones in Spain, a license is necessary. The Law regulating these unmanned vehicles has been approved in Spain on July 4, 2014this law refers to drones weighing less than 150 kg and limiting their use for recreational or sports purposes, recording, monitoring, creating maps for topography or similar and surveillance of certain areas.

To obtain the license it is necessary pass the official exam that certifies the training of remote control drone pilotingthe official certification of these licenses are called ATOissued by TO THAT. There are several levels depending on the piloting, this can be VFR or IFR. For those people who are in possession of the title of airplane or ultralight pilot, the official card will not be necessary for the handling of model airplanes, aircraft or drones.

In which areas is it allowed to fly remote controlled drones?

There are different categories of drones based on their weight, The regulations of civil aircraft piloted by remote control in Spain that may be of most interest to us at the user level, are those mandatory safety requirements that refer to drones that your weight is less than 25 kg.

They must be for sports or recreational purposes, also called model airplanes:

• It is prohibited to fly drones in cities or urban centersFor example, beaches, parks, sporting events, parties, outdoor concerts, covered places with the authorization of the owner for the recording of the event are exempt.
• The use of drones at night is prohibited or with very reduced visibility.
• Lflying distance of an RC drone to an airport, airfield, heliport or low-flying area, you must be at least 8 km when piloted with the VFR (Visual Flight Rules) system or visual flight. For piloting with the IFR system (Instrumental Flight Rules) it will be a minimum safety distance of 15 km.
• Use is limited to 120 meters high Due to a security measure with other flight slots, the flight zones enabled for recreational use drones are F and G, except for controlled zones and with full availability by flying and model airplane clubs, where this limitation is invalidated.
• The maximum distance allowed for piloting with visual or VFR flight will be 500 meters.still, the TO THAT (State Aviation Safety Agency) advises that a drone should never be used when environmental conditions do not allow a perfect view of it for obvious safety reasons.

It is convenient to know that radio control drones intended for recreational or recreational use will not be required to carry any identification plate. The exception arises for professional pilots of rc drones intended for commercial use, where they must have a plate indicating the name of the pilot, address and contact for easy identification of the owner of the remote controlled drone.

Is it difficult to fly an RC drone if I don’t have experience?

The short answer is no. The long answer is it depends, since like everything in life it requires learning, a few hours of dedication to gain the necessary skill to be able to carry out an activity with a minimum of guarantees, in this case, piloting a remote-controlled or radio-controlled drone. Therefore, if we want to launch ourselves into this exciting world of model airplanes, we must be able to dedicate a few hours to it until we can carry out correct piloting.

What movements can RC drones do in the air?

The mechanics of any remote controlled drone is based on the correct use of the four propellers That composes,…