Introduction

Abstract

This Introduction of the handbook presents background information related to unmanned aircraft in general. It is mostly nontechnical, focusing on introducing the concept and idea of the unmanned/pilotless aircraft and how unmanned aircraft evolved over the years reaching their current state. To begin with, it is crucial to understand that the field of unmanned aircraft has been plagued with different terms, which basically describe the same “concept.” Even the term UAV is controversial, and it is being replaced in many places with RPA, UAS, or RPAS. Different terms often result from the different requirements and concepts between military and civilian systems or from regulatory and legal considerations. Regardless, definitions for some of the most widely used terminology are presented in this section. Further, throughout the handbook, the different acronyms/terms that define unmanned aircraft are used interchangeably; however, the context in which such terms are used is clear and noncontroversial. A historical and pictorial perspective of unmanned aviation is also presented, which depicts that unmanned flight has a rich history that goes back all the way to ancient times, although the first systems that qualify with the modern definition of UAVs are quite recent and mainly involve the reconnaissance drones developed and deployed during the Cold War. Proposed UAV classification schemes from a variety of sources, both civilian and military, are included to help differentiate existing systems based on their operational characteristics and their capabilities. Several of these schemes are also of regulatory importance since the metrics used directly correlate with risk from ground impact or midair collision accidents. Concise information about the rest of the handbook is also included in this part, since it aims at familiarizing the reader with the unmanned/pilotless aircraft concept at large and the potential of unmanned aviation for a very wide and diverse spectrum of applications. In summary, this section educates the reader who will be ready to continue with the basic UAV design principles at a technical level.