United States military engineers spent years during World War I developing a highly sophisticated flying bomb that was basically the most pathetic prototype drone ever conceived.

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United States military engineers spent years during World War I developing a highly sophisticated flying bomb that was basically the most pathetic prototype drone ever conceived. The Kettering Bug was a small, unmanned biplane made of cheap wood and papier-mache, designed to fly in a straight line for fifty miles before deliberately dropping out of the sky onto enemy trenches. In theory, it was a terrifying technological leap forward that could deliver explosive payloads without risking a pilot. In practice, the absolute piece of garbage was incredibly unpredictable, frequently turning around mid-flight and attempting to bomb the very American troops who launched it. The war ended before this terrifyingly stupid contraption could be deployed in combat, saving the military the profound embarrassment of accidentally blowing up their own command tents with a spicy wooden kite