Dragonfly Insectothopter

Developed by CIA's Office of Research and Development in the 1970s, this micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was the first flight of an insect-sized aerial vehicle (Insectothopter). It was an initiative to explore the concept of intelligence collection by miniaturized platforms. The Insectothopter had a tiny engine to move the wings up and down. A small amount of gas was used to drive the engine, and the excess was vented out the rear for extra thrust. The flight tests were impressive; however, control in even a slight crosswind proved too difficult to overcome.

[video=youtube;dJyNU1aXXwo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJyNU1aXXwo&feature=player_embedded[/video]