6. Kettering was hired to develop a flying bomb for the army
In November 1917, after meeting extensively with Squier and Deeds, Kettering agreed to take on the project of developing a self-guided flying bomb for the Army. The effort was named Project Liberty Eagle. In January, 1918, two contracts were awarded as part of the project, one to Dayton Wright and the other to Dayton Metal Products Company. Since neither was considered the prime contractor, the Army assumed the role, filled by General Squier. Kettering was a major investor in both companies. The project was highly classified, and the contracts did not specify deliverables. Instead, they were to be identified verbally by the “account manager”, in the form of General Squier or his designated representative.
Prior to the contract awards, Kettering traveled to Amityville, New York, where he viewed the Sperry Aerial Torpedo and met with Elmer Sperry. There he learned of the workings of Sperry’s gyroscopic control system, which became a critical component of the Army’s weapon. It has been speculated that it was the trip to Amityville which convinced Kettering the Army’s idea was workable. Back in Dayton, Kettering met with his team on Christmas Eve, where he described the Navy’s version and his vision of the small aircraft they would build. One member of his team was Thomas Midgley, who became famous, or perhaps infamous, as the man who developed leaded gasoline as well as Freon.