What makes a fixed-wing stand out from the typical multirotor is the way they take off and land, their better power efficiency, hauls a greater payload and ensures efficient aerodynamics, which means they can take longer flights at higher speed offering more coverage.
Design & Structure: The secret behind the success of fixed-wing uavs is its unique design. As compared to multirotors, the long tilted wings of fixed-wing drones have simpler structure which makes it easy for maintenance and repair. They are hand launchable and also don’t have landing gears as they can land on their belly itself.
Energy used for lift generation: In Case of fixed-wing drones, lift generation is done by the aircraft itself when its wings cut through the air at a specific angle, whereas a multirotor requires a whole lot of energy and power from the battery to spin its propellers for generating lift. Unlike multirotor uavs, fixed-wings do not require much battery to stay aloft for propelling itself forward.
Flight characteristic: Given the gliding ability of fixed-wing drones, it can continue with its flight and also can make a safe landing even when its running down on battery power whereas multirotors crash on loss of battery power.
Payload: Fixed-wings have the capabilities of carrying greater payload over large distances using minimal power.
Some of the best fixed-wings
Parrot Disco: It is one of the best fixed-wing for hobbyists and beginners. The Parrot Disco has a flight time of 45 minutes and can fly up to the range of 1.2 miles. It has a wide angle camera which can capture high grade footage with 1080P video and 14MPX photos.
Parrot Swing: It is the cheapest, simplest and has the most basic model of fixed-wing available in the market for beginners. It comes with a dual flight mode(quadcopter and plane mode). It can reach speeds up to 19 mph in plane mode.
Sensefly Ebee X: It is the best fixed-wing for professional mapping and surveys. It has a maximum flight time of 90 minutes and can cover up to 400 ft at a time. It can capture three images instead of one by simply changing the orientation during flight.