1.

Standard Propellers

The propellers are usually located at the front of the drone/quadcopter. There are very many
variations in terms of size and material used in the manufacture of propellers. Most of them are
made of plastic especially for the smaller drones but the more expensive ones are made of
carbon fiber. Propellers are still being developed and technological research is still ongoing to
create more efficient propellers for both small and big drones. Propellers are responsible for the
direction and motion of the drone. It is therefore important to ensure that each of the propellers
is in good condition before taking your drone out for flight. A faulty propeller means impaired
flight for the drone and hence an accident. You can also carry an extra set of propellers just in
case you notice some damage that was not there before.

2. Pusher Propellers

Pusher propellers are the ones responsible for the forward and backward thrust of the drone
during flight. As the name suggest, the pusher propellers will determine the direction the drone
takes either forward or backward. They are normally located at the back of the drone. They work
by cancelling out the motor torques of the drone during stationary flight leading to forward or
backward thrust. Just like the standard propellers, the pusher propellers can also be made of
plastic or carbon fiber depending on the quality. The more expensive ones are usually made of
carbon fiber. There are different sizes depending on the size of the drone. Some drones provide
for pusher prop guards that will help protect your propellers in the event of an unplanned crash.
Always ensure you inspect your pusher propellers before flight as this will determine the
efficiency pf the flight.

3. Brushless Motors

All drones being manufactured lately use the brushless motors that are considered to be more
efficient in terms of performance and operation as opposed to the brushed motors. The design
of the motor is as important as the drone itself. This is because an efficient motor means you will
be able to save on costs of purchase and maintenance costs. In addition to that, you will also
save on battery life which contributes to longer flight time when flying your drone. Currently, the
drone motor design market is pretty exciting as companies try to outdo each other in coming up
with the most efficient and best developed motors. The latest in the market is the DJI Inspire 1
which was launched recently. This offers more efficient performance and saves on battery life. It
is also relatively quiet and does not produce a lot of unnecessary noises.

4. Landing Gear
Some drones come with helicopter-style landing gears that help in landing the drone. Drones
which require high ground clearance during landing will require a modified landing gear to allow
it to land safely on the ground. In addition to that, delivery drones that carry parcels or items
may need to have a spacious landing gear due to the space required to hold the items as it
touches the ground. However, not all drones require a landing gear. Some smaller drones will
work perfectly fine without a landing gear and will land safely on their bellies once they touch
the ground. Most drones that fly longer and cover longer distances have fixed landing gears. In
some cases, the landing gear may turn out to be an impediment to the 360 degrees view of the
environment especially for a camera drone. Landing gears also increase the safety of the drone.

5. Electronic Speed Controllers

An electronic sped controller (ESC) is an electric circuit whose main responsibility is to monitor
and vary the speed of the drone during flight. It is also responsible for the direction of flight and
variations in brakes of the drone. The ESC is also responsible for the conversion of DC battery
power to AC power to propel the brushless motors. Modern drones depend entirely on the ESC
for all their flight needs and for performance. More and more companies are coming up with
better performing ESC that reduce power needs and increase performance, the latest one being
the DJI Inspire 1 ESC. The ESC is mainly located inside the mainframe of the drone. It is unlikely
that you will need to do anything or make any change on the ESC but in case you need to make
any changes, you can locate it inside the mainframe of the drone.

6. Flight Controller

The flight controller is basically the motherboard of the drone. It is responsible for all the
commands that are issued to the drone by the pilot. It interprets input from the receiver, the
GPS Module, the battery monitor and the onboard sensors. The flight controller is also
responsible for the regulation of the motor speeds through the ESC and for the steering of the
drone. Any commands such as triggering of the camera, controlling the autopilot mode and
other autonomous functions are controlled by the flight controller. Users will most likely not be
required to make any alterations to the flight controller as this may often affect the performance
of the drone.

7. The Receiver

The receiver is the unit responsible for the reception of the radio signals sent to the drone
through the controller. The minimum number of channels that are needed to control a drone are
usually 4. However, it is recommended that a provision of 5 channels be made available. There
are very many different types of receivers in the market and all of them can be used when
making a drone.

8. The Transmitter

The transmitter is the unit responsible for the transmission of the radio signals from the
controller to the drone to issue commands of flight and directions. Just like the receiver, the
transmitter needs to have 4 channels for a drone but 5 is usually recommended. Different types
of receivers are available in the market for drone manufacturers to choose from. The receiver
and the transmitter must use a single radio signal in order to communicate to the drone during
flight. Each radio signal has a standard code that helps in differentiating the signal from other
radio signals in the air.

9. GPS Module

The GPS module is responsible for the provision of the drone longitude, latitude and elevation
points. It is a very important component of the drone. Without the GPS module, drones would
not be as important as they are today. The modules helps drone navigate longer distances and
capture details of specific locations on land. The GPS module also help in returning the drone
safely “home” even without navigation using the FPV. In most modern drones, the GPS module
helps in returning the drone safe to the controller in case it loses connection to the controller.
This helps in keeping the drone safe.

10. Battery

The battery is the part of the drone that makes all actions and reactions possible. Without the
battery, the drone would have no power and would therefore not be able to fly. Different drones
have different battery requirements. Smaller drones may need smaller batteries due to the
limited power needs. Bigger drones, on the other hand, may require a bigger battery with a
larger capacity to allow it to power all the functions of the drone. There is a battery monitor on
the drone that helps in providing battery information to the pilot to monitor the performance of
the battery.

11. Camera

Some drones come with an inbuilt camera while others have a detachable camera. The camera
helps in taking photos and images from above which forms an important use of drones. There
are different camera types and qualities in the market and a variety to choose from.

These are basically the main component of a drone. If you ever need to make a drone, you will
need to have all of these in order to have a working drone.

A drone, in technological terms, is an unmanned aircraft. Drones are

more formally known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned
aircraft systems (UASes). Essentially, a drone is a flying robot that can be
remotely controlled or fly autonomously through software-controlled flight plans in
their embedded systems, working in conjunction with onboard sensors and
GPS.

In the recent past, UAVs were most often associated with the military,
where they were used initially for anti-aircraft target practice, intelligence
gathering and then, more controversially, as weapons platforms. Drones
are now also used in a wide range of civilian roles ranging from search
and rescue, surveillance, traffic monitoring, weather monitoring and firefighting,
to personal drones and business drone-based photography, as well as
videography, agriculture and even delivery services.
The history of drones
Many trace the history of drones to 1849 Italy, when Venice was fighting for its
independence from Austria. Austrian soldiers attacked Venice with hot-air,
hydrogen- or helium-filled balloons equipped with bombs.
The first pilotless radio-controlled aircraft were used in World War I. In 1918,
the U.S. Army developed the experimental Kettering Bug, an unmanned "flying
bomb" aircraft, which was never used in combat.
The first generally used drone appeared in 1935 as a full-size retooling of the
de Havilland DH82B "Queen Bee" biplane, which was fitted with a radio and
servo-operated controls in the back seat. The plane could be conventionally
piloted from the front seat, but generally it flew unmanned and was shot at by
artillery gunners in training. The term drone dates to this initial use, a play on
the "Queen Bee" nomenclature.
UAV technology continued to be of interest to the military, but it was often too
unreliable and costly to put into use. After concerns about the shooting down
of spy planes arose, the military revisited the topic of unmanned aerial
vehicles. Military use of drones soon expanded to play roles in dropping
leaflets and acting as spying decoys.

GETTY

Soldiers of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, recover a KZO reconnaissance
drone following a successful mission during Thunder Storm 2018 multinational NATO
military exercises on June 7, 2018 near Pabrade, Lithuania.
Military drone use solidified in 1982 when the Israeli Air Force used UAVs to
wipe out the Syrian fleet with minimal loss of Israeli forces. The Israeli UAVs
acted as decoys, jammed communication and offered real-time video
reconnaissance.
Drones have continued to be a mainstay in the military, playing critical roles in
intelligence, surveillance and force protection, artillery spotting, target
following and acquisition, battle damage assessment and reconnaissance, as
well as for weaponry.
Modern drone history
A Wall Street Journal report claims widespread drone use began in 2006 when
the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency introduced UAVs to monitor
the the U.S. and Mexico border.
In late 2012, Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wired magazine, retired to
dedicate himself to his drones company, 3D Robotics, Inc. (3DR). The company,
which started off specializing in hobbyist personal drones, now markets its
UAVs to aerial photography and film companies, construction, utilities and
telecom businesses, and public safety companies, among others.
In late 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced a plan to use commercial
drones for delivery activities. However, in July 2016, Reno-based startup Flirtey
beat Amazon to the punch, successfully delivering a package to a resident in
Nevada via a commercial drone. Other companies have since followed suit. For
example, in September 2016, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University began a test with Project Wing, a unit of Google owner Alphabet,
Inc., to make deliveries, starting with burritos produced at a local Chipotle
restaurant. Then in December 2016, Amazon delivered its first Prime Air
package in Cambridge, England. In March of 2017, it demonstrated a Prime Air
drone delivery in California.

Flying burrito delivery at Virginia

 Tech? Chipotle's testing it.

Drone education is also expanding; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, long

a training ground for the aviation industry, now offers a Bachelor of Science in
unmanned systems applications, a Master of Science in unmanned systems
and an undergraduate minor in unmanned aerial systems.
Commercial and enterprise drone applications
The use of drones outside the military has grown tremendously over the past
decade. Beyond surveillance and delivery applications, UAVs are used in drone
journalism, search and rescue, disaster response, asset protection, wildlife monitoring,
firefighting, communications relay, healthcare and agriculture.
The integration of drones and internet of things (IoT) technology has created
numerous enterprise use cases. Drones working with on-ground IoT sensor networks can
help agricultural companies monitor land and crops; energy companies survey power
lines and operational equipment; and insurance companies monitor properties for
claims and policies.
A 2015 experiment in Austin, Texas, showed how drones can potentially
"connect the dots" using IoT. A security tech company teamed up with a drone
startup to hunt for Zigbeebeacons to try to provide an overview of what IoT
networks were present in residential and business areas of the city. The companies
reported that the results were quick and instructive.
From logistics to agriculture to security, unmanned aerial vehicles and IoT are
frequently part of the same discussion; offering a component in ubiquitous
connectivity and interactivity.
Types of drones
Drone platforms have two main types: rotor, including single-rotor or multi-
rotor (such as tricopters, quadcopters, hexacopters and octocoptors), or fixed-
wing, which include the hybrid VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) drones that
don't require runways.
Drones can be categorized as either personal/hobbyist or
commercial/enterprise.

GETTY

Drones can be equipped with a number of sensors, including distance sensors

(ultrasonic, laser, lidar), time-of-flight sensors, chemical sensors, and stabilization and
orientation sensors, among others. Visual sensors offer still or video data, with RGB
sensors collecting standard visual red, green and blue wavelengths, and multispectral
sensors collecting visible and non-visible wavelengths, such as infrared and ultraviolet.
Accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, barometers and GPS are also common
drone features.
For example, thermal sensors can be integral in surveillance or security
applications, such as livestock monitoring or heat-signature detection.
Hyperspectral sensors can help identify minerals and vegetation, and are ideal
for use in crop health, water quality and surface composition.
Many personal drones are now available for consumer use, offering HD video
or still camera capabilities, or to simply fly around. These drones often weigh
anywhere from less than a pound to 10 pounds.
Stronger, more capable drones are also available for use in commercial
settings. For example, Insitu, a Boeing company, offers the ScanEagle, which
has a 10-foot wingspan and weighs 35 pounds. The company also builds the
Integrator, an 80-pound aircraft with a 16-foot wingspan. Insitu drones do not
take off from runways, as an airplane would; rather they are VTOL as they take
off and are recovered from the company's SkyHook launchers. Sensors
available include electro-optic imagers, mid-wave infrared imagers, infrared
markers and laser rangefinders.

GETTY

In 2018, Boeing announced it had prototyped an unmanned electric VTOL

cargo air vehicle (CAV) capable of transporting up to a 500-pound payload.
Tethered drones are another option, though with the obvious limitation that
they are physically tethered to a base station. Certain tethered drones can
solve the challenge many drones face when it comes to power supply if the
tether provides a direct power supply. The Safe-T tethering station for drones
from Elistair, for example, offers 2.5 kW power and can fly to heights of more
than 200 feet, with data transfer rates of up to 200 Mb/s.

Here are just a few ways that aerial surveillance can be helpful: Farmers use
drones to monitor livestock on vast spreads of land. Fire departments can use
drones to track and map wild fires. Private companies can use drones to
monitor their infrastructure such as pipelines, buildings, and so on.
 How to Fly a Drone
A Beginner's Guide to Multirotor
Systems & Flight Proficiency

In this guide, you’ll learn how to fly a quadcopter (or any other multirotor drone).

Everyone goes through different struggles when piloting a quadcopter for the first time.
Multirotor flying definitely has a learning curve.

So if you’re having trouble flying your quad, you’re just getting started, or you’re looking
to hone your skills — don’t worry.

You’re in the right place.

No matter your quadcopter model, this guide will help you prepare for your
first flight, stay safe, get airborne, and learn some basic and advanced
quadcopter flying techniques.
 01 CHAPTER

DEFINITIONS

02 CHAPTER

QUADCOPTER CONTROLS

03 CHAPTER

REMOTE CONTROL/TRANSMITTER

04 CHAPTER

OVERVIEW OF MAIN
QUADCOPTER PARTS

05 CHAPTER

PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST
 06 CHAPTER

CHOOSING A PLACE TO LEARN

TO FLY A DRONE

07 CHAPTER

IMPORTANT SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS

08 CHAPTER

GETTING YOUR DRONE OFF THE

GROUND

09 CHAPTER

HOVERING IN MIDAIR AND

LANDING YOUR DRONE

10 CHAPTER
 FLYING YOUR QUADCOPTER
LEFT/RIGHT AND
FORWARD/BACKWARD

11 CHAPTER

FLYING A SQUARE PATTERN

12 CHAPTER

FLYING A CIRCLE PATTERN

13 CHAPTER

USING YAW CONTROL TO ROTATE

YOUR QUADCOPTER

14 CHAPTER

FLYING CONTINUOUSLY

15 CHAPTER
DIFFERENT MILESTONES TO HIT

16 CHAPTER

BEGINNER DRONE FLYING

TECHNIQUES

17 CHAPTER

ADVANCED DRONE FLYING

TECHNIQUES

18 CHAPTER

NEXT STEPS
 General terms:

Line of sight – The pilot can see their quadcopter during flight.

FPV (First Person View) — The pilot can see where they’re flying through the UAV’s
camera.

Parts:

Transmitter/Remote Control – The hand-held device that allows you to maneuver the
quadcopter and adjust its settings.

Propellers – They spin according to the manual controls of the pilot. The intensity of the
spin correlates to the intensity of the quadcopter’s movement.

Camera – Many quadcopters either come with a camera or allow the pilot to attach a camera to
them. This is how pilots practice aerial videography and photography. (A camera came in second place
when we interviewed UAV experts about their favorite drone accessory.)

Controls:

(Note: For simplicity’s sake, this article assumes that the left stick controls yaw and throttle,
and the right stick controls roll and pitch. Some transmitters allow the pilot to switch these
controls based on what’s most comfortable.)

Roll – Done by pushing the right stick to the left or right. Literally rolls the quadcopter,
which maneuvers the quadcopter left or right.

Pitch – Done by pushing the right stick forwards or backwards. Tilts the quadcopter,
which maneuvers the quadcopter forwards or backwards.

Yaw – Done by pushing the left stick to the left or to the right. Rotates the quadcopter
left or right. Points the front of the copter different directions and helps with changing
directions while flying.

Throttle – To increase, push the left stick forwards. To decrease, pull the left stick
backwards. This adjusts the altitude, or height, of the quadcopter.
• (Image source: Quadcopters Are Fun)

•
• Simple sketch of roll, pitch, yaw, and throttle on a transmitter (left image) and
quadcopter (right image).