Question map
With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements: 1. All types of UAVs can do vertical landing. 2. All types of UAVs can do automated hovering. 3. All types of UAVs can use battery only as a source of power supply. How many of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
None of the three statements are correct.
UAVs are robotic vehicles that can carry payloads and execute flying missions guided either by remote control or autonomously[1], but they come in various types with different capabilities.
**Statement 1 is incorrect** because not all UAV types can perform vertical landing. Fixed-wing UAVs, which operate like traditional airplanes, require forward motion and runways or horizontal landing strips. Only rotary-wing UAVs (like quadcopters) and VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) variants can land vertically.
**Statement 2 is incorrect** because automated hovering is primarily a capability of multi-rotor and rotary-wing UAVs. Fixed-wing UAVs cannot hover as they must maintain forward airspeed to generate lift and stay airborne.
**Statement 3 is incorrect** because UAVs use electric battery[2] as one power source, but not exclusively. UAVs can be powered by various systems including internal combustion engines, fuel cells[3], and hybrid power systems[4]. Different applications require different power solutions based on endurance and payload requirements.
Sources- [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/unmanned-aerial-vehicle
- [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/unmanned-aerial-vehicle
- [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/unmanned-aerial-vehicle
- [4] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-32313-2_reference.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is less a test of technical trivia and more a test of logical validity using the 'Extreme Statement' heuristic. The presence of 'All types' in every statement is a massive red flag. You don't need to know specific drone models; you just need to know that 'drones' include both mini-helicopters (quadcopters) and airplane-like vehicles (fixed-wing).
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Are all types of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) capable of vertical landing?
- Statement 2: Are all types of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) capable of automated hovering?
- Statement 3: Can all types of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) operate using only batteries as their sole power source?
Says an aeroplane can reach remote places provided a landing place is available β implying some aircraft require a prepared landing area (runway) rather than vertical touchdown.
A student could combine this with basic knowledge that many UAVs are fixed-wing like aeroplanes to suspect fixedβwing UAVs generally need runways and hence cannot land vertically without special design.
Discusses landing rights and major air terminals with sophisticated equipment, implying conventional aircraft operations rely on airports/landing infrastructure.
Use this to reason that vehicles designed for conventional airport operations (including some UAVs) are unlikely to perform vertical landings without different infrastructure or design.
Explains vertical motion under gravity β establishes the concept of 'vertical' motion as distinct and requiring controlled up/down movement.
A student can combine this physics idea with aircraft control requirements to infer vertical landing needs specific thrust/vectoring or rotors, unlike standard forward-flight fixedβwing control.
Contrasts vertical-axis vs horizontal-axis designs, showing that axis/orientation of rotating components affects motion characteristics.
Extend this to aircraft propulsion/rotor design: vertical-axis (rotorcraft/VTOL) enable vertical lift, whereas horizontal-axis (conventional propellers/engines) support forward flight and not necessarily vertical landing.
Mentions development of an unmanned probe (Chandrayaan) β an example of an unmanned vehicle built for specific mission profiles, implying diversity in unmanned vehicle designs and functions.
Combine this with the fact that different unmanned designs serve different roles to conclude not all UAVs share the same landing capability; some are not intended to land vertically or at all.
Mentions an unmanned probe (Chandrayaan) being developed for automated space exploration, showing that some unmanned vehicles are designed for autonomous operations.
A student could generalise that unmanned craft can be automated and then compare space-probe control requirements with those for atmospheric hovering to judge applicability to UAVs.
Describes an Automated Weather Station as a self-operating system using sensors to record data without human intervention, illustrating that small platforms can be automated using sensors and control logic.
A student could infer that similar sensor+control approaches enable hover-capable automation in some UAVs and then check which UAV types carry appropriate sensors/actuators.
Notes GAGAN and NavIC satellite navigation systems that provide accurate real-time positioning and timing, implying availability of precise positioning data usable by airborne vehicles.
A student could reason that access to precise positioning makes automated station-keeping (hovering) more feasible for UAVs equipped to use such systems, then examine which UAV classes can integrate them.
States that highly sophisticated equipment is required at major air terminals to avoid aerial collisions, indicating that maintaining stable positions and avoiding hazards demands complex avionics and automation.
A student could extend this to conclude that automated hovering likely requires comparable sophistication and thus may not be present in all UAV types, prompting a check of equipment levels across UAV classes.
Describes aircraft manufacturing and operations requiring elaborate infrastructure and facilities, highlighting that different aircraft types vary greatly in complexity and support needs.
A student could use this pattern to suspect that capability (like automated hovering) depends on vehicle complexity/type and available systems, so not every UAV will have that feature.
- Explicitly refers to propulsion systems that involve fuel cells and hybrid systems, showing alternatives to batteries.
- Also states UAVs "uses electric battery", indicating batteries are common but not the only option β implying not all rely solely on batteries.
- Contains a review article specifically on "Recent advances in fuel cells based propulsion systems for unmanned aerial vehicles", indicating fuel-cell-powered UAVs exist.
- The existence of fuel-cell propulsion reviews demonstrates that alternative (non-battery) power sources are used in UAVs.
- References studies on hybrid power systems and hydrogen fuel cell power for UAVs, providing concrete examples of non-battery propulsion research.
- Hybrid and fuel-cell research indicates that some UAV types are designed to use other power sources besides batteries.
Compares fuel-cell-powered vehicles with battery-operated ones, noting fuel cells give higher energy-conversion efficiency and faster refuelling.
A student can combine this with basic facts about endurance and refuelling needs of different UAV classes to suspect that batteries alone may be limiting for long-endurance or rapidly-refuelled UAVs.
States lithium-ion is the common rechargeable battery and that battery technology is evolving (solid-state promises better safety, faster charge, longer life).
One could compare current Li-ion energy-density limits to the power/weight demands of larger or longer-range UAVs to judge if batteries alone suffice.
Explains rechargeable batteries wear out and have limited lifetimes and sizes used across applications from small devices to electric vehicles.
A student could extrapolate that battery degradation and sizing constraints may limit UAV types that require long service life or high energy throughput.
Notes batteries come in various shapes and sizes for different purposes, from tiny cells to larger batteries for vehicles.
Use this pattern to reason that while small UAVs can use small batteries, larger UAVs may need much larger (or alternative) energy sources beyond practical battery sizes.
Reminds that a battery supplies finite chemical energy that is expended to do work (e.g., run motors) and so energy is consumed to maintain current/work.
Combine this with basic external data on energy consumption rates of UAV propulsion to estimate whether battery capacity would meet mission duration requirements.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter (Logic-based). No specific book source required; solvable purely by challenging the word 'All' with basic counter-examples.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Science & Technology > Defence & Aerospace > Classification of Unmanned Systems (Fixed-wing vs. Rotary-wing).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: 1. **Fixed-Wing UAVs** (e.g., Heron, Predator): Need runways, cannot hover, use fuel/engines for long endurance. 2. **Rotary-Wing UAVs** (e.g., Quadcopters): VTOL capable, can hover, usually battery-powered. 3. **Hybrid VTOL**: Combines both. 4. **Power Sources**: Li-ion (short range), Hydrogen Fuel Cells (emerging), Internal Combustion/Jet Engines (military grade). 5. **Regulations**: Digital Sky Platform, Green/Yellow/Red zones.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When studying a technology class (like UAVs, Missiles, or Bio-fuels), never assume homogeneity. Always classify them by **Mechanism** (how they fly), **Propulsion** (energy source), and **Utility**. If a statement claims a universal feature, ask: 'Does the most primitive or the most advanced version of this tech violate this?'
Vertical landing capability requires suitable landing places and compliance with landing permissions and charges.
High-yield for civil aviation and transport questions: explains why aircraft operations depend on infrastructure and international/regional regulations. Connects to topics on air routes, international airports, and geopolitical advantages of strategic locations. Helps answer questions on operational constraints and policy implications.
- Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 30: World Communications > AIR TRANSPORT > p. 309
- Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 30: World Communications > AIR TRANSPORT > p. 308
Understanding vertical motion and gravitational acceleration is essential to analyzing vertical landing dynamics.
Useful for technical sections and conceptual questions linking basic physics to aviation technology. Connects physics concepts to engineering limits of landing systems and descent control for aerial vehicles.
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: Exploring Forces > Activity 5.8: Let us observe > p. 72
Unmanned craft include diverse platforms (e.g., probes) whose design and landing capabilities vary by mission profile.
Helps distinguish between categories of unmanned systems in technology, space, and defence topics. Useful for questions comparing capabilities, design trade-offs, and mission constraints of unmanned versus manned vehicles.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Phase V: 2000β2010 > p. 55
Being 'unmanned' (no onboard human) is different from being 'automated' or capable of autonomous functions like hovering.
High-yield for UPSC because questions often test distinctions between types of platforms (unmanned, autonomous, remotely piloted) and their capabilities; links to topics in defence technology, space missions, and instrumentation. Mastering this helps answer comparative and definition-based questions and separates platform type from operational capability.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Phase V: 2000β2010 > p. 55
- Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Understanding the Weather > An automated weather station > p. 39
Precision positioning and timing provided by systems like GAGAN and NavIC enable accurate station-keeping and hover-capable operations for aerial platforms.
Important for UPSC as it ties civil aviation technology to national infrastructure and defence applications; useful for questions on navigation systems, aviation safety, and indigenous space/avionics programs. Knowing this concept enables analysis of which technologies are required for advanced UAV functions.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 14: Service Sector > Note: > p. 434
Batteries exist in many shapes, sizes and chemistries and are assigned to applications ranging from watches to electric vehicles, so matching battery type to platform energy needs is essential.
High-yield for UPSC questions on technology and transport: explains why a single energy solution cannot fit all platforms. Connects to topics on electric mobility, energy storage, and industrial policy; enables comparative questions on suitability and scalability of power sources.
- Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Electricity: Circuits and their Components > SCIENCE AND SOCIETY > p. 40
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: Electricity: Magnetic and Heating Effects > 4.3.3 Rechargeable batteries > p. 57
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: Electricity: Magnetic and Heating Effects > A step further > p. 58
Rechargeable batteries degrade with repeated charge cycles and contain materials that require recycling or special disposal, affecting long-term operational feasibility.
Important for questions on sustainability, e-waste policy and supply chains: links technical limits (degradation) to environmental and policy responses (recycling, resource security). Useful for framing policy prescriptions and supply-chain arguments.
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: Electricity: Magnetic and Heating Effects > 4.3.3 Rechargeable batteries > p. 57
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: Electricity: Magnetic and Heating Effects > A step further > p. 61
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 17: Contemporary Issues > Energy > p. 91
High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS). These are solar-powered UAVs designed to float in the stratosphere for months. Unlike standard drones, they act like satellites. Expect a question comparing HAPS vs. LEO Satellites.
The 'Predator vs. Phantom' Test. Visualize two extremes: a toy Quadcopter (DJI Phantom) and a massive Military Drone (Predator/Reaper).
1. Can a Predator land vertically? No, it has wheels and needs a runway. (Eliminate 1)
2. Can a Predator hover? No, it's a plane; if it stops, it falls. (Eliminate 2)
3. Does a Predator run on batteries? No, it carries heavy missiles and flies for 24h+; it needs jet fuel. (Eliminate 3)
Answer: None.
Link UAVs to **GS-3 Internal Security & Agriculture**: (1) **Border Management**: Anti-drone systems (Soft kill vs Hard kill) for stopping drug/arms drops in Punjab. (2) **Agriculture**: 'Kisan Drones' for spraying Nano-Urea (improving efficiency vs manual spraying).