DIY UAVs

UAV: from wiki

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), sometimes called an unmanned air-reconnaissance vehicle, is an unpiloted aircraft. UAVs can be remote controlled or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation systems. UAVs are currently used in a number of military roles, including reconnaissance and attack. They are also used in a small but growing number of civil applications such as firefighting where a human observer would be at risk, police observation of civil disturbances and scenes of crimes, and reconnaissance support in natural disasters. UAVs are often preferred for missions that are too "dull, dirty or dangerous" for manned aircraft.

There are a wide variety UAV shapes, sizes, configurations, and characteristics. For the purposes of this article, and to distinguish UAVs from missiles, a UAV is defined as being capable of controlled, sustained level flight and powered by a jet or reciprocating engine. Cruise missiles are not classed as UAVs, because, like many other guided missiles, the vehicle itself is a weapon that is not reused even though it is also unmanned and might in some cases be remotely guided.

The abbreviation UAV has been expanded in some cases to UAVS (Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle System). The Federal Aviation Administration has adopted the generic class Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) originally introduced by the U.S. Navy to reflect the fact that these are not just aircraft, but systems including ground stations and other elements.