RPAS PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
What are the three main types of UAV design? - ANSWER-Fixed wing -
Designed like planes, steered using ailerons on the wing and rudders on tail;
inherently stable and often have better range and battery life than other
styles, but more easily affected by wind
Multirotor - multiple set of propellors, which work together to balance
aircraft; usually have payload on underside and are good for hovering and
slow flight
Single rotor - like helicopter, good for moving quickly and vertical
takeoff/landing
What are flying wing UAVs? - ANSWER-like fixed wings, but without the tail
section. They have a similar
function to fixed wings.
What provides power to UAV? - ANSWER-Batteries, usually lithium ion
powered; this is because they have high energy density,
but have chemicals inside that will catch fire if exposed to air
How do you stop lipo battery fire - ANSWER-Because the fire caused by
batteries is self-fueling, it cannot be put out with water
or fire extinguishers. The spread of flames can be limited by smothering
them with
sand, dirt, or kitty litter, but it can't be fully put out until it burns out of fuel
What voltage should you store lipo battery at - ANSWER-3.75 volts
,Most batteries will stay around 3.75 volts for most of their charge time, after
which
the voltage will rapidly drop off
mAh (milliamps per hour) draw is a much better way of measuring remaining
battery life than voltage
What does the S mean in 3S batteries for example - ANSWER-the number of
cells in series (3S = 3 cells)
How do batteries get worse over time - ANSWER-While most batteries can
discharge at increased rates, they generally need to be
charged at their base rate (1C) this means that they will take longer to
charge than
they will to use up
As batteries age, their time-to-discharge shrinks. A battery will last for less
and less
time the older it gets
What is a payload? - ANSWER-the pieces of equipment (cameras, sensors,
etc.) that are added to the
drone to perform some sort of function besides flight
What are examples of payloads - ANSWER-Mapping and surveying cameras
can also be used to detect different wavelengths of
light to enable analysis
• RPAS can also be equipped with sniffer sensors to detect trace chemicals or
gasses in
,the air, or meteorological sensors for weather forecasting
• Radio can also be attached to drones to be used as a repeater to extend
the range of
VHF or UHF frequencies. It can also be used to broadcast signals such as WIFI
or cell
phone reception
• RFID tracking devices can also be attached to drones to allow for inventory
management
in large warehouse environments or asset tracking on large work sites
• Releasable payloads can also be attached for use in drone delivery,
pesticide spraying,
or even rescue operations
Can you take batteries on the plane - ANSWER-You can take as many
batteries aboard with you as long as they
are under 100 Wh (watt hours). If they are over, you're limited to 2 total.
What is the Electronic Speed Controller - ANSWER-It gets information on the
position of the aircraft
from the flight controller and what your input is asking it to do and changes
the rotor
speed accordingly
What devices are on a drone typically - ANSWER-Servos are used to
manipulate flight controls on fixed wing aircraft as well as for some
payloads
Brushless out-runner motors are the most common type of motor on UAVs,
but other
varieties are sometimes used. They receive their inputs through the ESC
, redundant parts help reduce risk of crash (ie redundant flight controller)
Ground Control Station - ANSWER-can be anything from a controller to a
computer system that
controls a UAV's behavior
What are common UAV command and control frequency bands? - ANSWER-
900mHz, 2.4gHz and
5.8gHz. They are all ultra-high frequency (UHF) bands
(Because of their frequency type, UAVs get the best reception if the pointy
end of the
antenna is not pointed directly at them. The flat side is best.)
How do electric motors work? - ANSWER-Inside of an electric motor, there are
permanent magnets and electromagnets. The
electromagnets turning on and off and interacting with the permanent
magnets is what
causes the rotation of the propellers
What are inrunner motors - ANSWER-Inrunner motors have the spinning parts
inside the casing of the motor. This helps to
protect the bearings and moving parts in the motor, but may lead to some
overheating
what are outrunner motors - ANSWER-Outrunner motors have the propeller
attached to the "bell" or outside of the motor
casing. Outrunner motors tend to have slightly more torque which allows
them to spin a
ANSWERS
What are the three main types of UAV design? - ANSWER-Fixed wing -
Designed like planes, steered using ailerons on the wing and rudders on tail;
inherently stable and often have better range and battery life than other
styles, but more easily affected by wind
Multirotor - multiple set of propellors, which work together to balance
aircraft; usually have payload on underside and are good for hovering and
slow flight
Single rotor - like helicopter, good for moving quickly and vertical
takeoff/landing
What are flying wing UAVs? - ANSWER-like fixed wings, but without the tail
section. They have a similar
function to fixed wings.
What provides power to UAV? - ANSWER-Batteries, usually lithium ion
powered; this is because they have high energy density,
but have chemicals inside that will catch fire if exposed to air
How do you stop lipo battery fire - ANSWER-Because the fire caused by
batteries is self-fueling, it cannot be put out with water
or fire extinguishers. The spread of flames can be limited by smothering
them with
sand, dirt, or kitty litter, but it can't be fully put out until it burns out of fuel
What voltage should you store lipo battery at - ANSWER-3.75 volts
,Most batteries will stay around 3.75 volts for most of their charge time, after
which
the voltage will rapidly drop off
mAh (milliamps per hour) draw is a much better way of measuring remaining
battery life than voltage
What does the S mean in 3S batteries for example - ANSWER-the number of
cells in series (3S = 3 cells)
How do batteries get worse over time - ANSWER-While most batteries can
discharge at increased rates, they generally need to be
charged at their base rate (1C) this means that they will take longer to
charge than
they will to use up
As batteries age, their time-to-discharge shrinks. A battery will last for less
and less
time the older it gets
What is a payload? - ANSWER-the pieces of equipment (cameras, sensors,
etc.) that are added to the
drone to perform some sort of function besides flight
What are examples of payloads - ANSWER-Mapping and surveying cameras
can also be used to detect different wavelengths of
light to enable analysis
• RPAS can also be equipped with sniffer sensors to detect trace chemicals or
gasses in
,the air, or meteorological sensors for weather forecasting
• Radio can also be attached to drones to be used as a repeater to extend
the range of
VHF or UHF frequencies. It can also be used to broadcast signals such as WIFI
or cell
phone reception
• RFID tracking devices can also be attached to drones to allow for inventory
management
in large warehouse environments or asset tracking on large work sites
• Releasable payloads can also be attached for use in drone delivery,
pesticide spraying,
or even rescue operations
Can you take batteries on the plane - ANSWER-You can take as many
batteries aboard with you as long as they
are under 100 Wh (watt hours). If they are over, you're limited to 2 total.
What is the Electronic Speed Controller - ANSWER-It gets information on the
position of the aircraft
from the flight controller and what your input is asking it to do and changes
the rotor
speed accordingly
What devices are on a drone typically - ANSWER-Servos are used to
manipulate flight controls on fixed wing aircraft as well as for some
payloads
Brushless out-runner motors are the most common type of motor on UAVs,
but other
varieties are sometimes used. They receive their inputs through the ESC
, redundant parts help reduce risk of crash (ie redundant flight controller)
Ground Control Station - ANSWER-can be anything from a controller to a
computer system that
controls a UAV's behavior
What are common UAV command and control frequency bands? - ANSWER-
900mHz, 2.4gHz and
5.8gHz. They are all ultra-high frequency (UHF) bands
(Because of their frequency type, UAVs get the best reception if the pointy
end of the
antenna is not pointed directly at them. The flat side is best.)
How do electric motors work? - ANSWER-Inside of an electric motor, there are
permanent magnets and electromagnets. The
electromagnets turning on and off and interacting with the permanent
magnets is what
causes the rotation of the propellers
What are inrunner motors - ANSWER-Inrunner motors have the spinning parts
inside the casing of the motor. This helps to
protect the bearings and moving parts in the motor, but may lead to some
overheating
what are outrunner motors - ANSWER-Outrunner motors have the propeller
attached to the "bell" or outside of the motor
casing. Outrunner motors tend to have slightly more torque which allows
them to spin a
