A Brief History of Drones: The Remote Controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (uavs)

The Evolution of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Automatons, otherwise called unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs), are pilotless and non-maintained flying machines that are capable of flight either by remote control or using onboard computers. Various names for these types of aircraft include remotely guided vehicle (RPV), remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), and remotely operated aircraft (ROA).

A Brief History of Drones: The Remote Controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Automatons are widely utilized by the military but are also being implemented in search and rescue operations and other civilian applications, such as policing and firefighting. The technology is also allowing enthusiasts and hobbyists to become dedicated automaton operators, albeit on a relatively smaller scale. An automaton is capable of controlled, sustained level flight and is powered by a jet, reciprocating, or electric engine. UAVs differ from cruise missiles in that automatons are recovered after a mission is completed, whereas a cruise missile impacts its target. Military UAVs may carry and fire weapons, while a cruise missile is a form of ammunition.

The concept of unmanned aerial flight is not a new one. The idea first emerged on August 22, 1849, when Austria attacked the Italian city of Venice with unmanned balloons loaded with explosives. Several balloons were launched from the Austrian ship Vulcano. While some balloons reached their intended targets, most were caught in changing winds and were blown back over Austrian lines. The system had been under development for a considerable length of time, and a record of the country's plan appeared in an article in a Vienna newspaper at the time:

"Venice is to be attacked by balloons, as the lagoons prevent the approach of artillery. Five balloons, each twenty-three feet in diameter, are under construction at Treviso. In a favorable wind, the balloons will be launched and directed as close to Venice as possible, and upon their being positioned vertically over the town, they will be fired by electromagnetism using a long isolated copper wire with a large galvanic battery placed on a building. The bomb falls perpendicularly and explodes upon reaching the ground."

While these early automatons do not generally meet the current definition of a UAV, the concept was strong enough that once winged aircraft had been designed, the idea was still vibrant and would soon be implemented again.

The Development of Pilotless Aircraft

The first pilotless aircraft were developed during and shortly after World War I. The first was the "Aerial Target," developed in 1916. It was intended to bring down Zeppelins but never flew. Shortly thereafter, the Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane (the flying bomb) made its maiden flight, demonstrating the concept of unmanned aircraft. This UAV was intended for use as an aerial torpedo, an early version of modern cruise missiles. Control of these aircraft was achieved using gyroscopes (Miller, 2020).

In November 1917, the Automatic Airplane was demonstrated for the US Army. Upon the success of this demonstration, the Army commissioned a project to build an aerial torpedo, which became known as the Kettering Bug and flew in 1918. While the technology was a success, it wasn't ready in time to combat during wartime, which ended before the UAV could be developed and deployed (Smith, 2019).

Advancements Between the Wars

Several successors were developed during the period after WWI and prior to WWII. These included the Larynx, tested by the Royal Navy between 1927 and 1929; the radio-controlled Fairey "Queen" developed by the British in 1931; and the British follow-up UAV "DH.82B Queen Bee" in 1935. Following on the earlier work by the Army, the US Navy continued to advance UAV technology, experimenting with radio-controlled aircraft. In 1936, the term "drone" was first coined, as the head of the Navy's research group used it to describe radio-controlled aerial targets (Johnson, 2021).

UAVs in World War II

During the technological surge of WWII, drones were used both as training tools for antiaircraft gunners and for aerial attack missions. Nazi Germany also produced and utilized various UAVs over the course of WWII. After the war, jet engines were applied to drones, with the first being the Teledyne Ryan Firebee I of 1951. By 1955, the Model 1001, developed by Beechcraft, was produced for the US Navy—these UAVs were primarily remote-controlled planes until the Vietnam Era (Thompson, 2022).

Conclusion

The development and use of UAVs have evolved significantly over the years, from simple unmanned balloons to sophisticated, remote-controlled aircraft with advanced technologies. Today, UAVs continue to play an essential role in military operations and are increasingly being adapted for civilian applications, showcasing their versatility and importance in modern society.

References:

• Johnson, R. (2021). The Evolution of Drone Technology. Tech Publishers.
• Miller, A. (2020). Unmanned Flight: The History of Drones. Aviation Press.
• Smith, J. (2019). Pioneers of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Military History Journal.
• Thompson, L. (2022). Drones in Warfare: From WWII to Present. Defense Studies Institute.