Well, as an aerospace engineer, I don't think any vehicle should be called a drone. Unmanned [Combat] Aerial Vehicle is a better term, or even Remotely Piloted

Well, as an aerospace engineer, I don't think any vehicle should be called a drone. Unmanned [Combat] Aerial Vehicle is a better term, or even Remotely Piloted Vehicle. But if we must use the label, let's say that a 'drone' meets one of the following: * Has weapons * Operates autonomously * Operates over the horizon * Requires runway facilities -- large remotely-piloted aircraft Everything else is just RC, including the quadrotors in the article.