![]() We made nose cones out of paper and taped them on (they didn't last once they got wet but they also won't hurt anybody if they fall on you). We generally used a single bottle for ours. I purposely angled all the fins on one bottle the same direction so it would spiral as it flew (like how a bullet goes through a rifled barrel). ![]() I'm sure there's instructables showing this technique. I know, it's not very accurate but it's super-simple. The bottle releases once the pressure gets high enough. You end up with about the right amount of water and compressed air in the bottle. Push the bottle down pretty hard on to that and turn on the hose. We did these with my Cub Scout pack with a few differences We figured out that a garden hose in some areas has about 90 PSI pressure so we just slide a bottle down onto a PVC pipe that we had heated up (like with a candle) and pushed to make it swell a bit. If you want to learn how to build an easy launch pad that will last for years, HERE is the instructable I created to take you through the steps. The major complaint about the launch kit (on Amazon) is stability. This can be fixed by adding a few rubber bands (wrapped around) where the water or air is leaking to help create a better seal. With the high pressure, the hoses have the potential to leak. I'm sure I could launch more rockets per year, but the rubber stopper tends to dry-rot after so many years. ![]() I can usually go for about 3 years (launching 70-80 rockets each year) before the rubber stoppers wear out. If the rocket launched well the first time, I might bump the pressure up to around 100 psi. This is where I allow them to test out different amounts of water/different air pressures/different launch angles. If the rockets are in good shape (still have fins/nose cone can be straightened out) they can launch again. When I do this activity with my students after everyone has had a chance to launch the kids can retrieve their rockets. You will need a large area to launch over (football field or soccer pitch). Stand back, pull the string with a quick flick of the wrist, and watch it fly. If you use an air compressor, getting the pressure up to around 90 psi only takes about 10 seconds. You could use a bicycle tire pump, but it takes a lot of work and the time between launches increases. The launch kit has a valve for pumping up the bottle (like you would find on a bicycle). This is approximately 2 Solo Cups worth of water.Ĭonnect bottle to the launch kit (This can take some practice because it takes some leverage to get the rubber stopper into the mouth of the bottle).Īfter the bottle is secured to the launch kit, pressurize the bottle. (It's good to have a hose spigot close by and a 5-gallon bucket). I have used THIS KIT for many years and find the quality of the materials built to last.įirst, add about one liter of water to the BOTTOM BOTTLE. There are a number of different launch set-up kits that can be purchased online.
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