Fixed wing is a fundamental aspect of aviation. Although various airborne vehicles have been used for flights since the 1700s, the foundation of modern fixed-wing aircraft was established in 1903. American brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully completed the first manned flight with a powered airplane.

These are motorized air vehicles that can ascend and move forward by maintaining lift due to the pressure difference created between the upper and lower surfaces of wing-shaped parts, primarily the wings. Fixed-wing aircraft are utilized in many different areas including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), passenger planes, cargo planes, firefighting aircraft, research aircraft, agricultural aircraft, military planes, private jets, and air ambulances.

Rotary wing, also known as rotary-wing aircraft, are air vehicles that overcome gravity and achieve flight through lift generated by blades (wings) rotating on a vertical shaft. The system comprising blades attached to a single shaft is called a rotor. When mentioning rotary wing, the types of air vehicles that typically come to mind are helicopters, rotary-wing UAVs, cyclocopters, autogyros, and gyrodyne.

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is a type of aircraft that operates without a human onboard. The most crucial and indispensable component of UAVs is a communication system between a ground-based controller and the aircraft.

UAVs are divided into two classes: those that are remotely piloted, and those that can autonomously execute a flight plan. Originally produced for reconnaissance, UAVs are now frequently used in attack missions as well. These aircraft have conducted many successful strikes against militants, but often hit civilian targets as well, leading to human casualties. Additionally, UAVs have recently been used for firefighting purposes.

Today, vehicles of various shapes, sizes, configurations, and characteristics are being produced. Historically, UAVs are simply considered as “drones.” However, their independent control systems have been significantly advanced. The purpose of this article is to delineate the differences between UAVs and guided missiles. Notably, UAVs are reusable and can fly continuously at certain altitudes without crew.

Drones, also known as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) or “Flying Eyes,” are remotely controlled or software-managed, navigable small aircraft. Today, UAVs are not only used for military purposes but have also become widely utilized in civilian sectors. They are frequently encountered in aerial video and photo shootings, forest fire monitoring, power line inspections, environmental audits, and mapping. In the educational sector, programmable drone models are among the most commonly used types.