Drones in World War I
Drones during World War I were merely flying bombs or torpedoes that were launched off either a ship or from a mobile launcher, such as a truck. These styles of aircraft were simple and cheap to make. However, aircraft were still new inventions in the world and the thought of an aircraft that could fly without the help of a human pilot was outlandish and unheard of. Thus, funding was not as extensive then as it is today. Little funding to help research a project means that the project might not be good enough for it.
Drones in World War II and the Cold War
Between World Wars I and II, research to further unmanned flights continued. When World War II exploded, the idea of using drones as "dummy" pilots for target practice was a good idea. However some drones were used for combat as well:
- On October 19, 1944 TDR-1 assault drones, some of the first of their kind, were used to drop bombs on Japanese military targets on Ballale Island, which was south of Bougainville.
- However, these drones could not return to base, making them a some-what
Drones of the Future
Pictured left is a newer type of UAV, it is called a "nano-hummingbird" designed after the living creature, the hummingbird. The first of its kind, the nano-hummingbird can ascend and descend like any normal drone, but it has a little trick up its sleeve. The nano-hummingbird, true to its inheritance, can hover is midair. However, despite its great advantages for mankind, the cost of the nano-hummingbird development project has been in excess of $4 million.
- The UAV is well worth the cost if it saves a human life or multiple human lives.
- The nano-hummingbird is the only UAV, so far, to be able to hover while gathering information.
- Many different organizations are interested in this new technology.
- Such as: the police departments for searching homes or looking for chemical leaks inside a house; the fire departments for searching for survivors in a burning building; and finally, the Armed Forces, for searching a battlefield for an enemy or gathering enemy intelligence.