Multirotor
Quadcopters, hexacopters and octocopters lift with several rotors. They take off vertically, hover precisely and are easy to fly, but use more energy, so flight times are shorter. Most camera, inspection and spray drones are multirotors.
Drone basics
Types of drones and what each one is good at.
By the NVX engineering team, New Delhi
Drones differ mainly in how they create lift. That single design choice decides flight time, range, payload and where the drone can take off. Here are the main types you will meet in India, and how to match them to the job.
Types by airframe
Most civil drones fall into one of these designs.
Fixed-wing
Fly like an aeroplane with a wing for lift. Much better endurance and range for large-area mapping, but need space or a launcher to take off and land, and cannot hover.
VTOL and tail-sitter
Take off and land vertically like a multirotor, then fly forward efficiently like a fixed-wing. A tail-sitter sits on its tail for take-off and tilts over into wing-borne flight.
Hybrid
Combine power sources or lift methods, for example fuel and electric power, for longer endurance.
Ornithopter (flapping-wing)
Generate lift by flapping wings, like a bird or insect. Used for research, education and nature-like flight.
Single-rotor helicopter
One main rotor and a tail rotor. Can carry heavy payloads efficiently but are mechanically complex.
Types by use
The same airframe type can serve very different jobs depending on its payload.
Camera and hobby drones
Small multirotors for photography and video.
FPV drones
Flown through live video goggles, for racing, freestyle and cinematic shots.
Agriculture drones
Multirotors carrying tanks for spraying and spreading.
Survey and mapping drones
Multirotors or fixed-wing with RTK or PPK for accurate maps and models.
Inspection and security drones
Multirotors with zoom and thermal cameras for assets, sites and emergency response.
Education and research drones
Configurable platforms used to teach and experiment.
NVX drones by type
Saksham is NVX's enterprise multirotor for inspection, security, mapping and emergency response. Rocket 01 is a VTOL tail-sitter platform in development. BAAZ is a configurable UAV platform. Titli is a bionic butterfly drone that flies by flapping its wings, an example of an ornithopter.
FAQ
Types of Drones: common questions
Which type of drone is best for beginners?
A small multirotor, ideally a nano drone, is easiest to learn on because it hovers and needs no runway.
Why do fixed-wing drones fly longer?
The wing produces lift efficiently in forward flight, so less power is needed than for rotors holding the drone up.
What is a VTOL tail-sitter drone?
A drone that takes off and lands vertically while resting on its tail, then tilts forward to fly on its wings. NVX's Rocket 01 is a tail-sitter platform in development.
What is an ornithopter?
A flapping-wing aircraft that mimics birds or insects. NVX Titli is a bionic butterfly drone built this way.
Which drone type is used for spraying crops?
Mostly multirotors, because they hover, fly low and slow, and take off from small fields.
Talk to NVX
Questions about drones? Ask the team that builds them.
Call +91 95609 21619, message us on WhatsApp, or visit us in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
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