The invention provides a recovery system, with the characteristics of accurate site directed recovery, small recovery field, damage prevention of sensitive equipment at the front end of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and low requirement of the wing strength, for a small-sized fixed-wing UAV and belongs to the field of small-sized fixed-wing UAV recovery system. The recovery system for the small-sized fixed-wing UAV comprises a foldable sky hook, a block device, a buffering energy-absorbing device and a manipulator-arm-type recovery bracket, wherein the foldable sky hook is fixed to the small-sized fixed-wing UAV, and when detecting the block device, the small-sized fixed-wing UAV controls the foldable sky hook to bounce to hook on the block device to realize the blocking of the small-sized fixed-wing UAV; the buffering energy-absorbing device is used to damp the impact kinetic energy of the block device; and the manipulator-arm-type recovery bracket is used to place the small-sized fixed-wing UAV which is blocked to a designated parking position. The recovery system for the small-sized fixed-wing UAV is suitable for recovery environment with confined space such as ground, ships and the like.