7. The Hale Rocket
The Hale rocket was a favorite of the US military, which just begs the question – why? After all, the rocket was known for having erratic flight patterns, as well as a penchant for exploding prematurely. Designed in 1844 by English inventor William Hale, these rockets had a spin-stabilized projectile that would fire out from a metal tube. Meanwhile, the jet vents, positioned at an angle with tail fins attached, were housed in the bottom of the rocket and were supposed to keep the weapon on target.
Sadly, they hardly worked when they needed to, and therefore were only used a few times during the Mexican-American War, the US Civil War, and the British Crimean War.
One positive result was that they were so sporadic, they did successfully have a psychological impact on the enemy.