Approaches to design and practice of unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type

Nowadays unmanned aviation has found wide application in many fields of human activity. Over the last two decades, such technology has moved from the category of military or experimental exotics to something applied and ubiquitous. Occupying more and more new spheres, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) get all the new functions. For their implementation the designers often take quite bold decisions, which are rare in the «big» manned aviation. The article examines the current state of the civilian airplane-type UAVs industry in terms of their design features, as well as the specifics of their application in various sectors of the economy. The authors analyse the principles underlying the choice of this or that aerodynamic scheme of a UAVs on the process of its design. In the context of possible UAVs application scenarios the advantages and disadvantages as well as limitations of a particular UAVs airframe layout, applied engine unit and construction materials are under consideration. Based on a summary of the parameters analysed, it stands out a number of classification features, which can be used as a basis for a comprehensive classification of a wide range of unmanned civil aviation.

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