MadModder

The Craftmans Shop => Backyard Ballistics => Topic started by: DICKEYBIRD on May 10, 2011, 10:01:23 AM

Title: Soda bottle water rockets?
Post by: DICKEYBIRD on May 10, 2011, 10:01:23 AM

Anybody have a favorite website or plans for a 1 or 2 liter soda bottle rocket launcher using a bicycle pump?  I need to make one for my grandson's birthday in July.

Thanks! :wave:

Title: Re: Soda bottle water rockets?
Post by: Powder Keg on May 10, 2011, 11:11:43 AM

There was one that was in home shop machinist a few years ago. It had a simple catch that you could pull a cord to launch. I don't think I still have it? I'll look though. I could do a COC drawing really quick and you could go from that. It was really simple.

Wes

Title: Re: Soda bottle water rockets?
Post by: dsquire on May 10, 2011, 02:40:03 PM

Quote from: DICKEYBIRD on May 10, 2011, 10:01:23 AM

Anybody have a favorite website or plans for a 1 or 2 liter soda bottle rocket launcher using a bicycle pump?  I need to make one for my grandson's birthday in July.

Thanks! :wave:

DICKEYBIRD

If you put this ( 'Soda bottle water rockets' ) into Google it will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about water rockets. Be careful and don't have too much fun.

Cheers  :beer:

Don

Title: Re: Soda bottle water rockets?
Post by: DICKEYBIRD on May 11, 2011, 08:51:33 AM

Thanks gentlemen!  There sure is a lot of info via Google, that's for sure.  Now I have to pick one and go make it.

Title: Re: Soda bottle water rockets?
Post by: raynerd on May 11, 2011, 10:28:16 AM

A few years ago we purchased a few sets of these at work:

http://www.rokit.com/uk/  

They are really brilliant. I understand you want to make one, I`m sure this could easily be done using their design.

This is the stand they use:

(http://www.rokit.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/fin-assembly-launcher-pack1.gif)

Obviously the fins help hold it straight in flight but more importantly act as a stand. The white plastic you can see is just simply a bottle top and screws onto the neck. The black is a bit of rubber tube. This could easily be made using a bottle top, cutting a hole in it and epoxying a rubber tube in place.

This is the most important part:
(http://www.rokit.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/coiled-hose1.gif)

One end just screws onto the pump but the other is like a gland and can be hard pushed into the black rubber tubing of the base. When the pressure gets so high, the metal gland is forced out of the black tube, the water is ejected and the rocket fires!

Hope that helps!

Alternatively, you could make this sort of a rocket!