Chapter 53 Section 4 "Fire Dragon Out of Water" and "Flying Sand Tube"

The powerful modern carrier rockets can be seen frequently on TV or in newspapers, and people will no longer feel unfamiliar.This kind of rocket is different from the rocket launched with a bow and arrow we mentioned earlier, but has the performance of self-launch, that is, it is launched into the air through the reaction force of the flame and gas ejected after the internal gunpowder is ignited.Now the world has recognized that the birthplace of modern rockets is in China. Rockets, formerly known as fireworks, were invented around the 12th century in the Southern Song Dynasty and were used for entertainment and celebrations.Later, single-stage rockets were invented for war. This kind of rocket weapon was used in the Song-Jin and Song-Yuan Wars, as well as in the Western Expeditions of Mongolian soldiers.

Rocket weapons had a significant development in the Ming Dynasty, many types of single-stage rocket weapons appeared, and two-stage rocket weapons were invented. For example, the "Shenhuo Flying Crow" was a single-stage rocket weapon commonly used at the time.It is made of bamboo strips, about the size of a chicken, sealed with tissue paper and thread on the outside, filled with gunpowder inside, with paper wings on both sides, and bird heads and tails on the front and back, like a flying crow.Two large rockets are installed in the lower part of the head and tail respectively, a hole is drilled in the back of the crow, and four gunpowder wires are put in, connected by a bus, and the rocket is connected with the gunpowder wire in the crow body.After igniting the rocket's main drug line, the "flying crow" flew into the air, and when it was about to fall to the ground more than a hundred feet away, the drug line ignited the gunpowder in the crow's body again, and suddenly there was a loud thunder, "the fire is everywhere, use it against the enemy." , Burning camps on land, burning ships on water, all battles are invincible" (Ming "Wu Bei Zhi" Volume 131).This can be seen as the predecessor of modern ground-based missiles.

"Fire Dragon Out of Water" is a two-stage rocket that can be used in water warfare.The body and tail of the dragon are carved from bamboo, and the head is carved from wood.Several rockets are placed in the belly of the dragon, which are connected by a total medicine line.Two rocket launchers containing 1.5 catties of propellant are installed under the faucet and tail, and the fire door is downward, which is also connected with the main charge line.Then the total medicine line of the rocket in the dragon's belly is connected with the medicine line of the bazooka.When the main drug line of the rocket launcher is ignited, the fire dragon will fly to the enemy under the impetus of the rocket launcher.After the propellant of the first-stage rocket (bazooka) is burned out, the rocket (second-stage) in the belly of the dragon is ignited again, and the rocket is shot out from the mouth of the dragon. "The fire dragon coming out of the water" can fly two or three miles away, "like a fire dragon coming out of the river", "both people and boats are burned, and water and land are used together" (Ming "Wu Bei Zhi" volume 133).This weapon was the harbinger of the modern multi-stage rocket.

The "flying sand barrel" is also a two-stage rocket, which is composed of two rocket launchers filled with propellant.The directions of the vents of the two rocket launchers are just opposite.A rocket launcher with a vent downwards, and the explosive line is connected with a firecracker, which contains explosives and arsenopyrite, and then the firecracker is connected with another rocket launcher with an upward vent.After igniting the bazooka with the vent facing down, the whole device will fly towards the enemy and ignite the firecracker, which will emit arsenopyrite in the sound of explosion and hurt the enemy's eyes.When the firecracker explodes, it ignites another rocket launcher, causing the device to fly back, "the enemy can't know it" (Ming "Wu Bei Zhi" volume 129).This can be regarded as the world's first recovery rocket.