The rapid development of drone related technologies at home and abroad has led to a wide variety of drone systems with distinct characteristics, resulting in significant differences in size, quality, range, duration, altitude, speed, mission, and other aspects. Due to the diversity of drones, there may be different classification methods for different considerations:
According to the configuration classification of flight platforms, drones can be divided into fixed wing drones, rotor wing drones, unmanned airships, umbrella wing drones, flapping wing drones, etc.
According to usage classification, drones can be divided into military drones and civilian drones. Military drones can be divided into reconnaissance drones, decoy drones, electronic countermeasures drones, communication relay drones, unmanned fighter jets, and target drones; Civil drones can be divided into inspection/monitoring drones, agricultural drones, meteorological drones, exploration drones, and surveying drones.
According to scale classification (civil aviation regulations), drones can be divided into micro drones, light drones, small drones, and large drones. Micro unmanned aerial vehicles refer to unmanned aerial vehicles with an empty mass of less than or equal to 7kg, and light unmanned aerial vehicles with a mass of more than 7kg but less than or equal to 116kg. In full horse level flight, the corrected airspeed is less than 100km/h (55nmile/h), and the lift limit is less than 3000m. Small drones refer to drones with an empty weight of 5700kg or less, excluding micro and light drones. Large drones refer to drones with an empty mass greater than 5700kg.
According to the classification of activity radius, drones can be divided into ultra short range drones, short range drones, and short range drones
Medium range drones and long-range drones. The activity radius of ultra short range drones is within 15km, the activity radius of short range drones is between 15-50km, the activity radius of short range drones is between 50-200km, the activity radius of medium range drones is between 200-800km, and the activity radius of long range drones is greater than 800km.
According to task height classification, drones can be divided into ultra-low altitude drones, low altitude drones, hollow drones
High altitude drones and ultra high altitude drones. The mission height of ultra-low altitude drones is generally between 0-100m, the mission height of low altitude drones is generally between 100-1000m, the mission height of hollow drones is generally between 1000-7000m, the mission height of high-altitude drones is generally between 7000-18000m, and the mission height of ultra-high altitude drones is generally greater than 18000m.
In September 2018, the 62nd meeting of the Harmonized System Committee (HSC) of the World Customs Organization decided to classify UAVs as "flying cameras". Drones can be classified as "flying cameras" and can be regulated as "cameras". Generally, countries do not have special trade control requirements for cameras, which is very conducive to China's high-tech advantage products entering foreign civilian markets.