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| Section of the scroll painting 'Feng Zhen Tu (《風箏圖》)', painted by famous Ming painter Xu Wei (徐渭), depicting an ordinary kite. |
Fang Ji Huo Feng Zheng (燔積火風箏, lit. 'Supply-scorching fire kite') is a unique but obscure siege weapon. It is essentially a weaponised kite, carrying a time bomb and propelled by a rocket. The rocket allows Fang Ji Huo Feng Zheng to be launched into the sky quickly, where it can stay in the air and "wire-guided" to its intended target. After a set amount of time, the bomb explodes in mid air, spreading poisonous dust and burning gunpowder all over the target.
Nevertheless, while the idea behind Fang Ji Huo Feng Zheng is sound, its relative slowness and weak power may not justify its use over other, more straightforward weapons such as
cannons or
incendiary rockets.
I wonder if it could have been modified into something like a flare.
ReplyDeleteGood day.
DeleteIf it's the normal kind of flare, Ming army did use it.