The
Kettering Bug
I first heard about the
Kettering Bug in this aviation class, then on our tour to the National Air
Force Museum I witnessed the Kettering Bug up close. The Kettering Bug is a
man-less bonding aircraft, looking very similar to other aircrafts of the time,
just lacking a pilot and smaller in size.
The Kettering Bug was
created in 1917 by Charles Kettering and his team, one member including Orville
Wright. The first demonstrations given to the military turned out to be very
successful. “At about 600 to 800 feet, as if possessed by the devil, it turned
over, made Immelmann turns, and seeming to spot the group of brass hats below
dived on them, scattering them in all directions.” After some renovations to
the Kettering Bug in 1918, it could fly up to a 75 mile range at 45 mph while
carrying 300 pounds of explosives. Only fifty Kettering Bugs had been created
by the end of World War I. Although the bug was considered for use again in
World War II, it was instead used as a model for the development of more
advanced missiles.
Thanks to Kettering and
his team, Dayton not only serves as the home for aviation, but home to the
first flying bombs every developed.
Reference:
[1] “World War I History: The Kettering Bug—World’s First
Drone.” Hubpages.Hubpages Inc. 2014.
Web. Feb 7 2014.
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