04.03.2020

Water rockets made from plastic bottles. Children's project "air-water rocket". Water rocket. With your own hands

Want to build your own two-meter rocket? In this article I will describe everything you need to know about this topic! I will not only show you how to make a bottle rocket with your own hands, but also explain the design of the parachute mechanism and launch pad.

The article is divided into 5 steps:

Step 1) Assembling Pressure Vessel Segments
Step 2) Assembling the launcher and nozzle
Step 3) Pressure test and pressure vessel assembly
Step 4) Assembling the parachute mechanism
Step 5) Preparations, safety precautions and start-up
Step 6) (optional) List of required materials

Step 1: Assembling Pressure Vessel Segments

In the first part of this instructable, I will tell you about the design of pressure vessel segments. For best results, it is better to use the same type of bottle. I recommend that you find narrow bottles with smooth walls. Bottles that have textures and patterns on the sides are not very suitable for this project.

For ease of assembly, we use three short pressure vessel segments in the water rocket, which we will later connect to each other. To glue bottles you need polyurethane-based glue.

Step 2: Launcher and Nozzle Assembly

In the second part of the tutorial you will see how to properly assemble the launcher and nozzle. The launcher is simplified and consists of three parts: the stand, the Gardena system and the trigger. The stand can be easily assembled from wooden boards. You need to drill small holes in it through which it will be attached to the ground.

If you want to launcher has served for a long time, then paint it, protecting it from water. The nozzle is created from a Gardena nut adapter into which a plastic bottle cap is glued with epoxy.

Step 3: Pressure Test and Pressure Vessel Assembly

In the third part of the tutorial, I will show you how to perform a pressure test on the vessel segments and assemble it. To carry out the test, you need to almost completely fill the vessel with water, screw the nozzle on one side, and a regular lid on the other. Tests should always be carried out outside and behind a fence, this way no one will be harmed in the event of an explosion. Once you have everything ready for the test, use your launcher's hose system to begin increasing the air pressure in the vessel. In my tests, I increase the pressure to about 8.8 atmospheres.

If you additionally acquire a Gardena control valve, then after successful tests you will be able to easily release air from the cylinder. If all segments have passed the pressure test, then they can be connected using connectors, we use Tornado Tubes.

Step 4: Assembling the Parachute Mechanism

In the fourth part of the tutorial, I will show you how to construct a parachute mechanism. Outer shell parachute deployment system consists of plastic bottle the same type as those used for pressure vessel segments. Two round plates are made from the same material as the rocket's fins and are glued to the body using hot glue. The timer shaft (the so-called Tommy Timer) is bent in the middle with two pairs of pliers. Once the paint has dried, you can attach the timer to the case using a cable tie.

Step 5: Preparations, safety precautions and start-up

In the fifth and final part you will see the process of launching and preparing for it.

Selecting a launch location:

empty fields or meadows
far from houses, streets, trees and power lines
in some cases permission from the competent authorities will be required

Consider weather conditions:

do not launch the rocket in strong winds
don't launch a rocket into a storm
a couple of drops of water from the sky will not harm the rocket

Think about safety:

be sure to wear safety glasses
do not go near the “inflated” rocket
Make sure that passers-by, children and animals do not appear in the launch area.

Summer is in full swing! For those who are already fed up with barbecues and sun loungers on the beach, we offer a cool idea for entertainment on fresh air: water rocket. The children will squeal with delight, the girls will be amazed, and the dacha neighbors will be furious and extremely surprised. The idea is not new; water rockets are very popular in foreign countries; there are even special championships for launching these things. You can buy them in the store, or you can make them yourself. Let's talk about this.

The principle of operation of a water rocket is extremely simple. You need a plastic bottle, one-third filled with water, a bicycle or car pump, a nipple and a launch pad (launcher) on which the rocket is fixed. The pump pumps air - the bottle flies high and far, splashing water around. All the “fuel” is squeezed out in the first moments after launch, and then the rocket flies along a ballistic trajectory (therefore, the center of gravity is moved as far forward as possible).
But the technical variations in the manufacture of this design can be very different. Some amateurs create real masterpieces:

Let's consider one of the simplest options.

1. Choose a bottle

The rocket should not be too long or too short, otherwise the flight will be crooked or not take place at all. The optimal diameter/length ratio is 1 to 7. A volume of 1.5 liters is quite suitable for the first experiments.

2. Select a cork

You will need a valve stopper for lemonade or any other drink. This will be the rocket nozzle.

It is important that the valve is new, not worn, and does not leak air. The best way to test it in advance is to put the cap on the empty bottle and squeeze tightly.

3. Attaching the nipple

You need to make a hole in the bottom of the bottle and fix the nipple in it, with the “nose” facing out. The main thing here is to achieve the highest possible tightness: tighten the clamping screw to the maximum, you can experiment with glue or plasticine. The bottle should not allow air to pass through.

4. Cut out the stabilizers

In order for the rocket to fly smoothly, it must be installed correctly. The easiest way is to make a stabilizer (legs) from another plastic bottle. To do this, the bottle is cut in half and straightened. Then, on this flat surface, draw the contour of the stabilizer, provide a backlog for attaching to the rocket body.

Now cut out the stabilizer along the contour and glue it to the rocket with tape.

The picture also shows a weighted rocket body; this author used a cut-off part of another bottle with a weight-bolt in the cap. In fact, there is complete scope for imagination and experimentation; you can accurately determine the optimal load in the head of your rocket only after several launches. The shape of the legs can also be different, for example, you can use the top of a plastic bottle, attach plastic legs to it, and place the rocket itself inside:

As for the launch pad, you can get creative here too. Someone's cooking complex designs with a guide axis, some cut out special devices from wood, while others simply fix the rocket on a flat surface using improvised means.
In principle, the simplest water rocket after the described steps is already ready. You just need to take it with you more water, pump and assistant: he will hold the rocket with the plug down and press the valve with his hands while you pump the air with the pump. It is recommended to pump 3-6 atmospheres into a 1.5 liter bottle (in this sense, a car pump is more convenient), then disconnect the hose and release the cap on the count of “three or four”. The rocket has been launched! It flies quite high and impressively, and most importantly, the whole process is not life-threatening. True, the assistant usually has to take a forced shower from the “fuel” :)

If you liked this idea and want to experiment further, we recommend reading, for example, there are more complex missiles here, with real launchers. picture with step by step instructions, though in English, but everything is drawn quite accessible. Well, if you liked the video and wanted to repeat something similar, welcome to the rocket modeling club: serious guys use several bottles of compressed air during launch, and only one contains water.

1) First you need to choose a suitable cylinder. For example: let’s take a 1.5 liter bottle. For achievement greatest height flight, the ratio of the diameter of the rocket and the length of the rocket should be 1:7. If the rocket is too short, it will not fly smoothly, and if the rocket is too long, it will break into two parts.

2) Secondly, we need a bicycle nipple. On old domestic cameras, most likely, there will be a spool valve, like on cars. Although this one can be used.

3) A stopper from some shampoo or lemonade, which is made in the form of a valve. The cork must be strong and not loose. Then she will not let air through. It’s better to check this right away - screw it onto the bottle, close it and squeeze the bottle tightly. For the best flight of your rocket, the nozzle diameter should be 4-5 mm.

4) Now you need to drill another hole in the center of the bottom of the bottle so that the nipple can fit into it. Insert it from the inside with the nose facing out. It's not easy, but it can be done. Screw the clamping screw onto the nipple so that it fits very tightly and tightly to the hole. In other words, it is necessary to ensure the tightness of the perforated bottle. When closed, the bottle should not allow air to pass through!

5) And finally, we attach stabilizers to the bottle. They help the bottle fly smoothly.

That's it, the rocket is ready.

Now, let's make a "launching pad" for our rocket. This is not difficult to do: you need a piece of board and an iron rod (it will serve as a guide). As a result, you should have a design like the one in my picture.

How it works:

All is ready! Take a rocket, a pump, a supply of water and go outside. It is advisable to take a friend with you, as you will need their help.

In order for the rocket to rise into the air, it is necessary to pour water into it, about a third. To obtain the greatest thrust impulse, the table shows the proportions of the weight of water and the volume of the cylinder.

The rocket is fueled. Now let's start the launch.

One person holds the bottle with the cork down and at the same time firmly presses the cork with his hands so that it does not open from the pressure, and the second at this time takes the pump and inflates the bottle with all his might. Pump approximately 3-6 atmospheres into the bottle and disconnect the pump. One of the launch participants continues to hold the rocket, and the second moves away a short distance. When everyone is ready, you can let go. After the start, water under pressure flows out of the cylinder and thereby creates a thrust impulse. As for the explanation for the fact that the rocket flew, everything is simple. Complete analogy with real rockets with combustible fuel. Only in them there is an emission of light combustion products at a tremendous speed, and in a water rocket there is an emission of rather heavy water, although at a lower speed. The mass of water compensates for its low speed. Hurray your rocket has taken off. The only negative is that the launcher ends up in the rain of “fuel”, and therefore it is better to launch in the warm season. Another option is also possible. The rocket can only bounce slightly and fall, spraying everyone with a stream of water. This most likely means that the hole in the plug is too small. Look for another one.

In nature, we offer good idea for fun: water rocket, and the children will definitely be delighted. The idea, to be honest, is not new; water rockets are popular in the West; there are even championships for launching such rockets. You can buy water rockets or make your own.

The operating principle of such a rocket is very simple.

In order to make a water rocket you will need:

plastic bottle one third filled with water
car or bicycle pump
nipple
platform (launcher) on which the water rocket is fixed.

You need to use a pump to force air into a bottle filled with water; due to the air pressure, the bottle flies high, splashing water around. All the water is squeezed out in the first seconds after launch, after which the water rocket flies along a ballistic trajectory (therefore it is better to move the center of gravity as far forward as possible).

Technical options for manufacturing such a design can be very diverse. You can create a real masterpiece:

Let's look at the simplest option.

1. Choosing a bottle for a water rocket

The rocket should not be very short or long, otherwise the flight will be crooked or completely unsuccessful. The optimal ratio of diameter to length is 1 to 7. A bottle volume of 1.5 liters is suitable for your first experiments.

2. Select a cork

Find a valve plug from detergent or lemonade, it will act as a rocket nozzle.

It is necessary that the valve is not worn out and does not allow air to pass through. Test it in advance: close the bottle with the valve and squeeze tightly.

3. Attaching the nipple

Make a hole in the bottom of the bottle and fix the nipple in it, with the “nose” facing out. The most important thing is to achieve maximum tightness: tighten the clamping screw as much as possible, you can experiment with plasticine or glue. Nothing should allow air to pass through.

You need to install the rocket correctly in order for it to fly smoothly. Regarding the launch site, there’s enough imagination here. You can prepare complex structures or simply fix the rocket on a flat surface with what you have at hand.

Basically, you have the simplest water rocket ready. All that remains is to take a pump, more water and an assistant: one of you will hold the water rocket with the cap down and hold the valve while air is pumped into the bottle. For a one and a half liter bottle, he recommends pumping from 3 to 6 atmospheres (a pump with an atmosphere display is useful), then disconnect the hose and release the valve plug. Ready! Water rocket launched! The rocket will take off spectacularly and high, the whole process is safe. True, you usually have to take a shower with “fuel” :)

This brainstorming About, how to build b and launch a hydro-rocket, and not simply, but professionally, based on my many years of experience.

I am not responsible for any damage, for all risks associated with the production and launch of this hydro rocket, you assume responsibility!

Happy building and launching aerocrafts!

Step 1: Getting Started

The hydro rocket is driven by pressure compressed air, transmitted into the water, thereby creating a directed hydraulic shock.

If you take 1 standard two-liter plastic bottle, then under a pressure of 120 psi the rocket will reach a height of about 30 meters. But, if you take 2 two-liter bottles, then under a pressure of 120 psi the hydro rocket will rise about 45 meters, since there will be more air in the rocket, therefore, more thrust. The second bottle gives only 15 additional meters because the mass of the homemade product increases.

Step 2: Nose Cone

We cut off the top of one bottle, and then cut off the neck from it. Take a ping pong ball and half it, place half of the ball on the glue from the inside of the cut off top of the bottle. We connect the resulting two parts with glue or tape.

Adding an oversized nose cone shifts the center of gravity higher, hence making the flight path crafts more stable.

Step 3: Stabilizers

On brain computer We draw stabilizer templates, print them and cut them to shape. Then we glue the templates onto the cardboard, that is, we give the stabilizers the required rigidity and cut them out along the contour. Instead of cardboard, you can use corrugated plastic.

We mount the stabilizers on the rocket body using glue and tape.

Step 4: Connection

Bottles of steps can be connected by their bottoms. To do this, holes with a diameter of 7-8 mm are drilled in the middle of the bottoms of the bottles, “male” 8 mm plumbing couplings are inserted and sealed into these holes from the inside, and the bottles are connected to two “male” ones using one “male” coupling.

Another connection of bottles is with caps. Holes with a diameter of 7-8mm are also drilled in the middle of the bottle caps, the top of one cap is applied to the top of the other cap, the drilled holes in the caps are centered and connected with an 8mm plumbing coupling. Next, the bottles are screwed into the caps hydro rockets.

Step 5: Splicing

To join two bottles together as in the picture to create an airtight seal, three bottles are needed.

First, the lower ends of two bottles of the same size are cut off. Next, the top and bottom are cut off from the third bottle, and the resulting ring is inserted halfway into the cut edges of the two bottles. We seal the connection and strengthen it with tape.

Step 6: Trigger

As a trigger, I use a design developed by NASA. This mechanism allows you to vary the size of the rocket nozzle, that is, select the optimal launch pressure in the system.

Board 1.5cm thick
2 bolts 10mm
metal drill with a diameter of 10mm
wood drill bit diameter 10mm
6 nuts and washers with a diameter of 10mm
bicycle valve (you can take it from an old bicycle tube)
rubber stopper
Bicycle Pump
2 tent pegs
4 L-shape brackets
nails

The launcher can withstand any pressure, depending on the rubber plug. To do this, the connection between the plug and the neck of the rocket is adjusted using adjusting bolts.

Step 7: Two Stage Rocket

For two-stage hydraulic rockets, a servo-actuated or pressure valve design may be used.

15cm tubes with a diameter of 22mm
plywood or plastic panel (as the basis for the entire structure)
built-in non-return valve (valve from a pump is suitable)
first and second stages hydro rockets

We insert 2 cm of 22mm pipe into the first stage. We use epoxy or PVC mastic to seal the inserted tube. We insert the check valve into the 22mm pipe and glue it.
We cut out additional fastening elements from plastic to hold the bottle in the desired position.

We attach the hinge to the clamp. When you put the bottle on (use Vaseline for a seal) make sure the clamp on the tube is right next to the neck of the first stage. Then clamp your hinge onto the neck of the bottle so that it is tight and stable.

Step 8: Triple Boosters

The rocket launchers are easy to make because they simply hang on the ejector bottle.

We mark the mounting locations for the launch vehicles on the main stage. We construct three launch vehicles with one stabilizer and attach them to the marked places. We assemble the launch mechanism for triple launch vehicles and test the rocket!

Step 9: Parachute

The parachute system is designed using the simple gravity deployment method.

The parachute cone is mounted loosely on the rocket, so when the rocket reaches maximum height, the weighted nose cone will be the first to fall to the ground and deploy the parachute system.

We make a cone for the parachute compartment and try it on the nose compartment, it should sit quite loosely on the nose compartment. We drill a hole in the nose compartment and the parachute cone for the parachute system cord, thread and tie this lanyard.

We attach the parachute lines to the release cord so that when the system is activated, the parachute functions properly and the parachute cone is not lost.

Step 10: Cargo Bay

The cargo bay is used to carry a payload such as an altitude sensor, an accelerometer, or even a hand slug, but a fall from a height can kill it.

Cut off the bottom of any size from the bottle. From corrugated plastic we cut out two disks the diameter of the bottle. From the same plastic we cut out a strip the width of the diameter of the bottle and a length slightly less than the cargo compartment. We glue the parts together, and when the glue dries, we place them in the cargo compartment and fill them with payload.