Show us your water rockets

[Russian Rocket]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppFNk2_xJMg

this is the first test flight of the (russian)water rocket

it is just a low pressure launch, nothing holding bottle on launcher to get higher pressure. Our base does have a cable tie release mechanism for later use

Just a water bottle, no fins or nose cone

No launch tube again base does allow for one to be added easily

Going to have so much fun with RR junior

[onesickpuppy]

Good fun, although perhaps a slightly longer air hose might be an idea?

[Simpo Two]

Now if wings could spring out at the top... after a tailstall it might achieve some gliding distance...?

[tapkaJohnD]

Good luck and have fun!
After the fins 'n' things, try 2- and 3-stages!
The world record is 2000ft!
JOhn

[Shaolin]

I did this with a group of kids once, they were none too bright. I told them about how much water to air ratio they needed for the best results, but they seemed to think that somehow the water was fuel and the more there was, the better it would go.

So I let them experiment. At about 5:1 water to air, the rocket slowly rose to just above head height, it then angled itself at about 45 degrees and spun round soaking them all as they were standing in a circle around it, never been able to repeat it though.

[Tycho]

These chaps take it very seriously with multiple stages and deployable parachutes!!!!

http://www.aircommandrockets.com/

[Russian Rocket]

I have done a lot of googling, there are a lot of people who take this very seriously, I am sure I cant compete

my "rules" are

have fun with RR junior
keep it cheap - so far I have only had to buy a car tyre valve for £1
Have fun with RR junior




this week we have added fins to the rocket. they are 3mm MDF attaches with a glue gun test launch is tomorrow am

[andrewrob]

This is how its done http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNGhKhFoOhs

[tapkaJohnD]

That's a laugh, Andre!
But lets be clear, he really did take off, under the power of his water rockets!
Respect!

I tried to scale it up by using a water cooler bottle, with a length of copper tube that ahd a nozzle on the end. Pressurised by a sidearm with a tyre valve araldited on, it could be pressursied to about 40psi before the stopper to pipe joint leaked. It produced a reasonable fountain:

But when mounted on wheels - prototype below - had no thrust to it at all!


John

[tom_loughlin]

My one piece of advice is to put some weight in the nose - that makes the single biggest difference in the achievable height - far more that a pointy nose cone or fins.

I made a few a couple of years back, played about with cable tie launches etc... until the launching rig gave up.

Tried a chute, with limited success. I did get round to splicing bottles, but never tried them - the weather turned before I could fly them.

My neighbours kids came out and we had a brilliant afternoon.

Put an old Nokia in the nose too, got some footage, but it all happens too fast - but I would gladly share if anyone wants.

Enjoy

Tom

[Russian Rocket]

Rocket 2 had added fins. It was a disaster and only flew about half the distance of a bottle alone

We added a nosecone with a rubber ball and had remarkable sucess

test 5 was with nosecone and added ballast and was too sucessful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6EWjVr-eE&lis...

Learning points

Ballance is critical to stable flight
we need a bigger field
we need a new rocket
PAINT THE ROCKET A BRIGHT COLOUR

Edited by Russian Rocket on Thursday 19th September 10:09

[anonymous-user]

Russian Rocket said:

Rocket 2 had added fins. It was a disaster and only flew about half the distance of a bottle alone

We added a nosecone with a rubber ball and had remarkable sucess

test 5 was with nosecone and added ballast and was too sucessful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6EWjVr-eE&lis...

Learning points

Ballance is critical to stable flight
we need a biger field
we need a new rocket

PAINT THE ROCKET A BRIGHT COLOUR

It just vanished?

[Russian Rocket]

spent about 1/2 hour looking for it it, it just disappeared

I think it probably didnt make orbit

I suppose the thing about transparent plastic bottles is they are transparent

Probably stuck in a tree. I might go back and look again tonight see if it has blown down

Edited by Russian Rocket on Thursday 19th September 10:14

[Hooli]

Sounds like the search for Beagle all over again

[Watchman]

I made a few coke-bottle water rockets with my kids. We started off with fins etc but ultimately the "bare" bottle went furthest.

I also bought a cheap micro-SD card vid cam and taped it to the rocket, facing downwards. The resultant video wasn't fabulous but could have been if we could get the rocket higher and maybe parachute down again.

When I say cheap...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-DV-Smallest-Resolutio...

£7.

[tvrolet]

I had one of these as a kid (some time ago ) Mid 60s I guess? I thought it was a great toy and I always wondered why they stopped making them as once mine broke I never saw another.



You filled the rockets upside down and there was a measure on the side for the height each level of water would get you. Not sure why you'd want to put in a different level other than maximum height, but there was a scale none the less.

The pump was a bit like a bicycle pump but with air coming out a 'pin' on the side that the rocket sat on, with an o-ring to seal. There was then a sleeve on the pump that slid forward and held the rocket down with a ridge on the tail until you got the pressure up. Then you slid the sleeve back and off the rocket went.

These things had fins that pointed in opposite directions to the rocket spun in flight...fairly fast as I recall.

Ahh.... Just like yesterday. It were all fields round here you know...

[hairykrishna]

tvrolet said:

I had one of these as a kid (some time ago ) Mid 60s I guess? I thought it was a great toy and I always wondered why they stopped making them as once mine broke I never saw another.

I had one, or very similar, in the 80's/early 90's. All of the kits that seem to be available now appear to use a pop bottle as the pressure vessel as opposed to the purpose built one - maybe it's a safety/licensing thing?