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Did you know one of the world's first drones was built in Dayton?

A replica of the Kettering "Bug" on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The Bug is considered one of the first unmanned aircraft and carried 180 pounds of explosives. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

A replica of the Kettering "Bug" on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The Bug is considered one of the first unmanned aircraft and carried 180 pounds of explosives. TY GREENLEES / STAFF
What to Know
By Staff reports
April 14, 2016
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Most people are familiar with Dayton’s aviation history: the Wright brothers were the first to fly a powered airplane.

But did you know another important aviation innovation occurred here, too? It was one of the world's first drones, lovingly dubbed "The Bug."

In the late 1910s, inventor Charles F. Kettering, launched one of the world’s first drones as a test project for the U.S. Army in the final year of World War I.

The drone was officially named the “Kettering Aerial Torpedo,” but was later called simply the Kettering Bug. Construction of the Bug was completed by the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company, where Orville Wright was consulted.

The Bug was built as a flying bomb. When the target was reached, the wings would drop off and the rest of the craft, laden with 180 pounds of explosives, would fall and explode on impact.

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Staff reports