Drones Offer Journalists a Wider View(nytimes.com)
nytimes.com
Drones Offer Journalists a Wider View
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/25/business/media/drones-offer-journalists-a-wider-view.html?pagewanted=1&hp
1 comments
So, what attributes does an aircraft require in order to deserve to be called a drone?
Is it the degree of remoteness of control? E.g., ability to be operated reliably beyond the visual range of its operator? Or the ability to operate autonomously or semi-autonomously?
Is it the degree of remoteness of control? E.g., ability to be operated reliably beyond the visual range of its operator? Or the ability to operate autonomously or semi-autonomously?
Well, as an aerospace engineer, I don't think any vehicle should be called a drone. Unmanned [Combat] Aerial Vehicle is a better term, or even Remotely Piloted Vehicle.
But if we must use the label, let's say that a 'drone' meets one of the following:
But if we must use the label, let's say that a 'drone' meets one of the following:
* Has weapons
* Operates autonomously
* Operates over the horizon
* Requires runway facilities -- large remotely-piloted aircraft
That is all.