With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements:
- I.All types of UAVs can do vertical landing.
- II.All types of UAVs can do automated hovering.
- III.All types of UAVs can use battery only as a source of power supply.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) None
UAVs come in different designs with different abilities. Fixed-wing UAVs fly like aeroplanes and need a launcher and a landing device, while hovering and vertical take-off and landing belong to multirotor and hybrid VTOL types. Drones can also run on gasoline or hydrogen fuel cells, not only batteries. So none of the three 'all types' claims is correct.
- ✗ I Fixed-wing UAVs get lift from a rigid wing like an aeroplane and need launch infrastructure and a landing device; vertical landing is a feature of multirotor and VTOL types.
- ✗ II Hovering capability is one of the ways drones differ. Multirotors hover; fixed-wing UAVs, which rely on forward flight for lift, do not.
- ✗ III Battery power is only one option. Gasoline-powered drones give longer flight times, and fuel-cell (hydrogen) UAVs also exist, so not every UAV is battery-only.
Remember · UAV types differ: multirotor and VTOL can hover and land vertically, fixed-wing cannot; power may be battery, gasoline or hydrogen fuel cell.
Sources
- World Bank: Drones for Development: Overview of Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean (2024), Appendix 1 (fixed-wing) ↗ “Fixed wings do, however, require a launch infrastructure, usually a propulsion ramp and a landing device. … They work on the principle of the helicopter, offering hovering and vertical takeoff and landing capability. … Gasoline-powered drones offer extended flight times but may be noisy and heavy and contribute to GHG emissions.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·