21. Development continued in late 1919
By the end of October, the only Kettering Bugs remaining were assembled from parts scavenged from the wrecks of previous tests. That in itself wasn’t indicative of complete failure, since the Bug was designed to crash at the end of its flight. Successful controlled and level flight for a distance beyond several hundred feet remained elusive. Problems with the engines were predominant; springs broke, there were problems with carburetion, excessive vibration, and other issues generally attributed to what was then called workmanship. On a later day, it would be called quality control. Problems remained in the flight control system as well.
Army mechanics tinkered with the remaining engines, adjusting settings and when necessary machining new parts on-site. Propeller pitch was adjusted. Midgley and his assistants continued to make minute adjustments to the flight control system, noting that once the proper settings were achieved, they would be standard for every flight. The only modification required of technicians who launched the Kettering Bug in combat conditions would be to the range – the number of engine revolutions necessary to reach the target. By late October Midgley found the desired setup of the flight control system and had fine-tuned its performance in the air. Launch rail flaws were resolved. The engine was ready, and so was the tired team of developers.
