But there is no secret about the means of propulsion. The body
is charged with a slow-burning combustible, in the manner of the
ordinary rocket, whereby it is given a rapid rotary motion.
Furthermore it is stated to be fitted with a small gyroscope in
the manner of the torpedo used in the seas, for the purpose of
maintaining direction during flight, but upon this point there is
considerable divergence of opinion among technicians, the general
idea being that the torpedo depends upon an application of the
principle of the ordinary rocket rather than upon a small engine
such as is fitted to the ordinary torpedo. The employment of a
slow combustible ensures the maintenance of the missile in the
air for a period exceeding that of the ordinary shell. It is
claimed by the Germans that this projectile will keep aloft for
half-an-hour or more, but this is a phantasy. Its maintenance of
flight is merely a matter of minutes.
The belated appearance of this much-lauded projectile and its
restricted use suggest that it is unreliable, and perhaps no more
effective than the aerial torpedo which appeared in the United
States during the Spanish-American War, and proved a complete
failure.
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