In 1917, Orville was back in the airplane business after selling the Wright Company in 1915. This time he didn’t own the company named the Dayton Wright Airplane Company, rather he served as a technical advisor.

Six Dayton businessmen formed the new company. The president of the new company was Edward Deeds, vice-president and later, president of the NCR Company. The vice- president of the new company was Charles Kettering, the noted inventor. Orville was a good friend of both men.

One of the more interesting projects that Kettering and Orville worked on was the Kettering Bug, an aerial torpedo, pilotless, gyroscopically controlled, wooden biplane designed to deliver a 180-pound bomb. The bomb constituted the 10 foot long fuselage. A 2-cycle, 4-cylinder 40-horsepower Ford engine powered the plane. It had no wheels and was launched from a track.

When the engine was fully revved, a mechanical counter was engaged and the Bug was released. When it reached flying speed, it lifted off and flew straight ahead toward the target, climbing to a preset altitude.

The altitude was controlled by a sensitive aneroid barometer. When it reached the set altitude, the Bug’s barometer sent signals to small flight controls that were moved by a system of cranks and a bellows (from a player piano) for altitude control.

A gyro helped maintain the stability of the Bug and the barometer helped maintain altitude. The wings were designed on the dihedral (slightly upward shape) and this shape was the only thing that provided directional stability. Latter, lateral controls were added that provided lateral control.

The number of engine revolutions was calculated by using target distance and forecasts of wind speed and distance. When the engine had turned the set number of times, a cam dropped into position, cutting fuel to the engine. Then the Bug silently glided to the target like a diving falcon.

Unfortunately, The Bug was rarely as deadly as a falcon.

The first official test of the Bug went held on the first week of October 1918, before a distinguished crowd. At first everything was well, but then the slowing climbing missile went off course and dove like a "kite without wind" aimed at the reviewing stands scattering the spectators.

Fortunately, the missle crash-landed a few hundred feet beyond the invited guests.

The next week the pilotless plane went out of control again setting off a chase by 100 men in automobiles. The Bug initially flew straight and level, but then began a lazy circle and came down 21 miles from Dayton in a farmer’s field.

When the chase party arrived, puzzled people at the site were searching for the pilot.

The Bug was demonstrated to the U.S. Army Air Corps in Dayton, Ohio, in 1918. Also, in September 1918 a somewhat larger manned version of the Bug, the "Messenger," was test flown successfully. However, WW I ended before they could be put into production.

The Bug received a patent and therefore was subject to public disclosure. The Germans in WW II obtained the plans and used them to build the "Fi 103 missile," better known as the V-1 "buzz bomb."

One of the strong supporters of the Bug was Col. Hap Arnold, who in 1911 was taught to fly by Orville Wright at Huffman Prairie in Dayton. Arnold served tours of duty at what is now Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In 1917, he served as Director of Military Aeronautics and in 1929 he was the Commander of the Fairfield Depot.

Later, during World War II, he became the Air Force’s only five-star General and Chief of the Army Air Forces.

Arnold saw great potential in the Bug and convinced his superiors to send him to Europe to convince Gen. John M. Pershing to use the Bug against the Germans during WW I. The War was about over and the Bug was not used.