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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') was a unique but obscure siege weapon. It was essentially a weaponised kite that carried a timed explosive and propelled by a rocket. The rocket allowed Fang Ji Huo Feng Zheng to be launched into the sky quickly, where it would stay in the air and "wire-guided" to its intended target. After a set amount of time, the bomb would explode in mid air, spreading poisonous dust and burning gunpowder all over the target.
Nevertheless, while the idea behind Fang Ji Huo Feng Zheng was sound, its relative slowness and weak power likely did not justify its use over other, more straightforward weapons such as
cannons or
incendiary rockets.
