Kettering Bug

Experimental unmanned aerial torpedo

The Kettering Bug was an experimental unmanned aerial torpedo, a forerunner of present day cruise missiles. It was capable of striking ground targets up to 75 mile (121 km) from its launch point, while traveling at speeds of The British radio controlled weapons of 1917 were secret at this time. These designs were forerunners of modern day missiles.

In November 1917, about six months after the US declared war on Germany, the United States Army aircraft board asked Charles Kettering of Dayton, Ohio to design an unmanned "flying machine" which could hit a target at a range of 40 mile (64 km). Kettering's design, formally called the Kettering Aerial Torpedo but later known as the Kettering Bug, was built by the Dayton Wright Airplane Company. Orville Wright acted as an aeronautical consultant on the project, while Elmer Ambrose Sperry designed the control and guidance system. A piloted development aircraft was built as the Dayton Wright Bug. The aircraft was powered by a two stroke V4 DePalma engine. The engine was mass produced by the Ford Motor Company for about $40 each. The fuselage was constructed of wood laminates and papier mâché, while the wings were made of cardboard. The "Bug" could fly at a speed of The total cost of each Bug was $400. The Bug was launched using a dolly and track system, similar to the method used by the Wright Brothers when they made their first powered flights in 1903. Once launched, a small onboard gyroscope guided the aircraft to its destination. The control system used a pneumatic/vacuum system, an electric system and an aneroid barometer/altimeter. To ensure the Bug hit its target, a mechanical system was devised that would track the aircraft's distance flown. Before takeoff, technicians determined the distance to be traveled relative to the air, taking into account wind speed and direction along the flight path. This was used to calculate the total number of engine revolutions needed for the Bug to reach its destination. When a total revolution counter reached this value a cam dropped down which shut off the engine and retracted the bolts attaching the wings, which fell off. The Bug began a ballistic trajectory into the target; the impact detonated the payload of of explosives.

The prototype Bug was completed and delivered to the Aviation Section of the U. S. Army Signal Corps in 1918, near the end of World War I. The first flight on October 2, 1918 was a failure: the plane climbed too steeply after takeoff, stalled and crashed. Subsequent flights were successful, and the aircraft was demonstrated to Army personnel at Dayton: "The Kettering Bug had 2 successes on 6 attempts at Dayton, 1 of 4 at Amityville, and 4 of 14 at Carlstrom." Despite some successes during initial testing, the "Bug" was never used in combat. Officials worried about their reliability when carrying explosives over Allied troops.

A full size reproduction of a Bug is on permanent display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. It was constructed by Museum staff members, and went on display in 1964.