Angående stridsflyg

Den italienske 1600-talsforskaren och jesuitmunken Fransesco Lana de Terzi (som B.F. Skinner för övrigt citerar i inledningen till sin eminenta bok Science and Human Behavior) var en av de första som förutspådde stridsflyget, verkar det som. I sin bok Prodomo lägger han fram hypotesen att ett skepp skulle kunna segla på luft så länge som skeppet bara är lättare än själva luften. Lana trodde dock inte själv att idéen skulle bli verklighet, eftersom

... God will never suffer this Invention to take effect, because of the many consequencies which may disturb the Civil Government of men. For who sees not, that no City can be secure against attack, since our Ship may at any time be placed directly over it, and descending down may discharge Souldiers; the same would happen to private Houses, and Ships on the Sea: for our Ship descending out of the Air to the sails of Sea-Ships, it may cut their Ropes, yea without descending by casting Grapples it may over-set them, kill their men, burn their Ships by artificial Fire works and Fire-balls. And this they may do not only to Ships but to great Buildings, Castles, Cities, with such security that they which cast these things down from a height out of Gun-shot, cannot on the other side be offended by those below.

-J.