Waterrockets

From What The Wiki?!

Building and shooting waterrockets is fun for kids.

We don't try to break some records, so Stoffie has not to worry.

These small rockets can reach height about 20m, using a bicycle pump for pressure.

Demos (1,5L bottle)

• launch of a rocket1
  
• launch of a rocket2
  
• launch of a rocket3 (The movie is 90 deg but has a nice fontain Hairyscary 19:28, 10 Jul 2005 (CEST)
  
• huge launch with rockets on a japanese tv show Muahaha!
  

shopping list

• 3 0.5l PET bottles with caps. (For cabonated drinks! not for still water, they may not stand the 4 bar pressure)
• a waterhose nozzle 3/4 inside or outside, depending on the type of engine.

I prefer the inside nozzle for capassembly, because when making it properly, you also can screw it on a 1,5l bottle.

Bring a spare! It might be needed.

Putting it together

Cap assembly

Heated assembly

At the end you should have something like this

The engine (the mom or dad part!)

Depending on the type of engine, there are two choices.

Cap assembly

1. Drill a 18-20mm hole into the gap, cut off the waternozzle helix and use sandpaper to flatten it.
2. Make sure the whole thing fits and doesn't leak. (a bit of PVC glue might be helpfull ;-) )

Heated assembly

This may look easy but is a bit harder to make it inline with the whole bottle.

1. Using a candle or lightner, heat the bottle
2. Gently screw the waternozzle on it.

Because the helix isn't the same, this might be more or less succesful.

It's a bit safer and quicker, because no drilling is used. But too much heat and the bottle sets on fire.

The bare bone rocket

1. Cut one bottle in half
2. Glue the upper half on top of bottom off one other bottle.
3. Remove the bottom of the other half and glue it on the top of the bare rocket.

The duct tape is just for reinforcement or replacing the glue.

What you need more

Please bring some materials like:

• duct tape
• plastics
• glue
• scissors
• colored paper
• waterproof markers
• whatever the kids need for decorating the rocket.

Other designs

I did this one at Megabit 2004. The kids loved it! Went up 20 to 30 meters. The design is different, though.

Cool! another rocketeer... :)) The design is different, because i use a gardenhose nozzel, for the rest.. its fun.

Hairyscary 17:58, 7 Jul 2005 (CEST)

Took this photo 9-7-2005. The pressure used is about 4 bar. Hairyscary 23:14, 9 Jul 2005 (CEST)