Kettering Bug

The Kettering Bug was an experimental unmanned flying device conceived during World War I by the Dayton‑Wright Company under the direction of inventor Charles F. Kettering. Developed between 1917 and 1919, the Bug represented one of the earliest attempts to create a pilotless aircraft capable of delivering a payload over a predetermined distance. Its design resembled a conventional biplane, featuring a 90‑foot wingspan, a plywood fuselage, and a single 100‑horsepower Curtiss OX‑5 engine mounted on tricycle landing gear. Guidance was achieved through a mechanical timer and preset pitch‑roll adjustments; once the timer expired, a series of automatic controls would sever the engine, allowing the aircraft to glide to its target. The Bug could carry up to 2,000 pounds of explosives, and test flights demonstrated a reliable range of roughly 150 miles—an unprecedented capability at the time. Although the armistice halted further development and the Kettering Bug never entered combat, its legacy endures as a direct precursor to modern cruise missiles and drones. The program showcased the feasibility of autonomous flight, influencing later U.S. Army and Air Force projects and cementing Dayton‑Wright’s role in pioneering unmanned aerial technology.