The Remarkable Story of Delmer S. Fahrney: The Man Who Invented the Drone in 1936

It’s fascinating to think that someone born in the 19th century could pioneer a technology that would define the 21st. Delmer S. Fahrney, an officer in the U.S. Navy just before the outbreak of World War II, was such a visionary. He tirelessly worked to persuade his superiors of the potential of a remote-controlled device capable of carrying explosives to strike ground targets.

Despite achieving some promising results against Japanese forces in the Pacific, Fahrney's invention fell into obscurity for over 50 years. It wasn’t until the post-9/11 era that drones emerged as a cornerstone of modern military operations. Fahrney's journey offers a glimpse into the life of an overlooked genius in the field of aeronautics, whose vision was far ahead of its time.

Written by Guerric Poncet.