How valid are Sugiyama׳s experiments on follower forces?

This paper is inspired by the review articles of Langthjem and Sugiyama, and Elishakoff on the dynamic stability of non-conservative elastic systems. It examines Sugiyama׳s experimental results on a cantilever column subjected to the weight and thrust of a small rocket motor mounted at the tip end. The test results cannot be utilized directly for comparison with estimated critical loads of the column but they demonstrate the stabilization of the system due to rocket thrust.