VTOL 101: VTOL vs. Drones, UAVs, Flying Cars, and More Pt. 2
In our introductory post to VTOL 101: The Ultimate VTOL Guide, we went over what VTOL is and how VTOL works. We covered the differences between rotorcraft and powered-lift mechanics by giving an overview of how these aircraft are powered to take flight.
This is part 2 of our series. We address the difference between VTOLs, Drones, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Flying cars, and more.
Recently, there has been a surge in the number of individuals working on innovative aircraft technologies. Although this has been immeasurably beneficial for the aeronautics ecosystem as a whole, the surge in interest has, unfortunately, generated a parallel surge in confusion. Terms are often erroneously conflated, technologies described inaccurately, and individuals left with an incomplete understanding of the field and the various technologies that are a part of it. As such, it makes sense to spend some time becoming familiar with some of the most popular aviation terms in use today in order to better understand how VTOL supports and runs adjacent to, the technologies that populate the wider ecosystem.
Drone: In the strictest sense of the word, a drone is an aircraft that doesn’t have a human pilot aboard. These crafts may either fly because of an autonomous onboard computer or have their flight path controlled by an operator that is stationed remotely. Drones may be equipped with VTOL technologies (most all recreational drones are), but this isn’t always the case, especially in military combat drones.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft that doesn’t have a human pilot aboard and may be controlled by either an autonomous onboard computer or a remote operator. In this respect, there is a great amount of overlap between UAVs and drones. In fact, the FAA considers the two terms to be synonymous. Some industry proponents have attempted to differentiate the two terms by classifying “drones” as autonomous machines and “UAVs” as remotely piloted machines; however, these definitions are merely preferential and not officially recognized — though they are slowing become more widely accepted. Like drones, UAVs may have the ability to take-off and land vertically, but not all do.
Unmanned aircraft system: An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is a term that refers to the entire system that’s needed to operate a UAV or drone. This encompasses the aircraft, remote operators, autonomous onboard computers, cameras, global positioning systems, and other integral aspects of the drone or UAV’s operations — which may or may not include VTOL technologies.
Flying car: A flying car is a craft that is able to fly through the sky and drive on land. The key part of this definition is that the vehicle must be able to drive on traditional roads like a car. To this end, neither the flying taxis that Uber envisions nor the jets that Lilium is in the process of creating are, properly articulated, flying cars — neither can drive on land. Unfortunately, an alarming number of publications and entrepreneurs inaccurately imply that all small aircraft are “flying cars.” This is obviously not true, or else we would consider all two-seater planes “flying cars.” That said, a flying car (if we ever actually develop one) may or may not have VTOL capabilities.
Vertical Takeoff, Vertical Landing: At a casual glance, one may assume that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket — which takes-off vertically, carries objects to outer space, and lands vertically — is a VTOL craft. However, VTOL is a term that applies to aircraft. The Falcon 9, on the other hand, is a rocket and a type of spacecraft. As a result, the correct term to use when discussing the Falcon 9 is “vertical takeoff, vertical landing” (VTVL). This also applies to Blue Origin’s New Shepard system and similar rocket-driven craft.
Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing: A fixed-wing aircraft that is able to launch from a short runway and land vertically is considered to be a short take-off and landing (STOVL) vehicle. Generally speaking, a STOVL craft must be able to clear a 15-meter obstacle in 450 meters. Some flying machines may have both STOVL and VTOL capabilities, but not all.
To sum, a VTOL aircraft may have a pilot aboard, be piloted remotely, or be autonomous. A flying car, drone, or UAV may be a VTOL aircraft, but they may not be — it just depends on how they take-off. A VTOL craft may also be a STOVL craft. And if one is talking about rockets, the proper term to use is VTVL.
This has been part 2 of our VTOL 101 series. Thank you for reading. In our next post, we will cover why we believe VTOL is the future of flight. Stay tuned!
If you have any questions and/or just want to say hello, reach out. L@skypodcorp.com
