How did Military Drones come to be called "Drones"?

[Malthus]

Given all the debates about the use of “drones”, meaning basically robot aircraft … how did the term arise? The word “drone” originally referred to the male bee, and from that became a term for a lazy parasite (as the male bee does no work, other than mate); also, the term means to hum or buzz in an even tone, and from that, to any sound that goes on and on (as in “to drone on”) .

I suppose the humming or buzzing could be the clue. In fact, there are lots of possible reasons. Does anyone know offhand how the term originated?

The wiki article is fairly useless on this point, it says:

In 1931, the British developed the Fairey “Queen” radio-controlled target from the Fairey IIIF floatplane, building a small batch of three, and in 1935 followed up this experiment by producing larger numbers of another RC target, the “DH.82B Queen Bee”, derived from the De Havilland Tiger Moth biplane trainer. Through some convoluted path, the name of “Queen Bee” is said to have led to the use of the term “drone” for pilotless aircraft, particularly when they are radio-controlled.

[Shagnasty]

"drone (n.)
Old English dran, dræn “male honeybee,” from Proto-Germanic *dran- (cf. Middle Dutch drane; Old High German treno; German Drohne, which is from Middle Low German drone), probably imitative; given a figurative sense of “idler, lazy worker” (male bees make no honey) 1520s.

Meaning “pilotless aircraft” is from 1946. Meaning “deep, continuous humming sound” is early 16c., apparently imitative (cf. threnody). The verb in the sound sense is early 16c. Related: Droned; droning."

pilotless aircraft | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

[Si_Amigo]

I thought that they were originally named after drone bees because they had no stinger (armament); like a drone bee. Originally they were only used for observation; that obviously isn’t the case anymore but the name appears to have stuck.

[steronz]

I’ve always known “drone” to mean an automaton, like a mindless drone, or a corporate drone. Did that usage evolve separately from a pilotless aircraft, then?

[Shagnasty]

@Si_Amigo

I thought that they were originally named after drone bees because they had no stinger (armament); like a drone bee. Originally they were only used for observation; that obviously isn’t the case anymore but the name appears to have stuck.

I thought it was because they were expendable like drone bees. The military frequently used them for aerial target practice in the early days.

[Si_Amigo]

Ah yes, target drones. Again, no armament and expendable. So our modern military geniuses must have chosen this term to make the use of drones in the middle east sound disarming. Don’t worry about them, they are only drones; harmlessly taking pictures they are. Then they started using them to call in strikes; then actually started arming them; and yet still called drones. It was not that long ago that they started calling them predator drones. Now that the cat is out of the bag they just call them Predators.

[PatriotGrrrl]

@steronz

I’ve always known “drone” to mean an automaton, like a mindless drone, or a corporate drone. Did that usage evolve separately from a pilotless aircraft, then?

That’s similar to what I thought - that a drone was any robot that is not intelligent enough to operate independently but needs a human operator.

[Malthus]

Heh, this is one of those cases in which each explaination sounds perfectly plausible …

[Si_Amigo]

@PatriotGrrrl

That’s similar to what I thought - that a drone was any robot that is not intelligent enough to operate independently but needs a human operator.

A fighter jet needs a human operator too, but you wouldn’t call it a drone.

[Elmer_J.Fudd]

@Si_Amigo

A fighter jet needs a human operator too, but you wouldn’t call it a drone.

But the pilot and his craft are essentially the same entity when one describes their actions (when you say the Red Baron dove on the enemy, you are really talking about the plane that he is providing independent action to.) It’s a stretch to say Airman Jones sitting at a monitor in Omaha dove on an enemy in Tora Bora.

I remember Star Wars storm troopers being described as drones in some book that came out right after the first film, like they were controlled from the Death Star or something. It made more sense along side Obi Wan’s comment about weak minds than the whole “clone of a super talented assassin” deal that came later.