Hi, i'm just getting into the RC hobby, so sorry if this is a stupid or 'noobish' question.

Is there a point of having a Wind Speed or an Anemometer physically installed onto a high-flying UAV and will it cause any drag or air resistance related issues? I can see the uses and possible applications for needing one on the ground for wind speed and direction checking, however, is there any point in adding one on the aircraft itself for wind measurements at the UAV's specified altitude?

Cheers

Not an anemometer, per se, but a pitot-static system to measure barometric altitude and airspeed is pretty standard equipment. You should also include outside air temperature. With calibrated airspeed, pressure altitude, and temperature, you can calculate true airspeed. Comparing true airspeed and heading with GPS ground speed and course, you can calculate the winds aloft.

A pitot-static probe has minimal drag.