If a multirotor shows up in ATAK with a fixed-wing icon, or the reverse, the unit is not misreading it. The icon comes from what the aircraft says about itself. This article explains where it comes from and what you can do about it.
Where the icon comes from
Remote ID includes a field that identifies the type of aircraft. DragonSync reads that field and uses it to choose the icon sent to TAK:
| Aircraft type reported | Icon in TAK |
|---|---|
| Fixed wing | Fixed-wing |
| Helicopter or multirotor | Rotorcraft |
| Gyroplane or VTOL | Rotorcraft |
| Any other value | Rotorcraft (default) |
Why it can be wrong
The aircraft type is set by the aircraft’s own Remote ID transmitter, and the unit cannot change it. If a quadcopter appears with a fixed-wing icon, its transmitter is reporting the wrong type. That is a configuration choice made by the manufacturer or the operator, not a detection fault.
What to do
- Treat the icon as the aircraft’s own claim about its type, and use the track’s other details to decide what you are looking at.
- If it is your own aircraft, check the type setting on its Remote ID transmitter.
Related
- WarDragon User Guide, Section 8 — integration with your operational picture
- What each WarDragon detection source sees
- Sending detections to ATAK, iTAK, and WinTAK by multicast