DIY Water Rockets with Drop Away Boosters
These complex water powered rockets use extra boosters to launch over 600 feet in the air with onboard cameras to take us along on the ride. The launch, typical of a NASA-style adventure can be simulated using water rockets. Water rocket are made out of used plastic water (or soda) bottles and use water as a propellant and pressurized with gas. The gas-water combo on release launches the rocket upwards.
Following Australian rocketeer George Katz and his Air Command team, you can have your own Cape Canaveral type launch. The Water Rockets Team is launching single-stage soda bottle rockets over 600 feet using three drop-away booster engines. It’s not exactly space flight but the fun is atmospheric.
Air Command has detailed drawings on the build setup with easy to follow illustrations. The flight principle of the drop away boosters is simple physics. During ‘ignition’ and launch, the forward thrust keeps the coupled boosters attached to the principal rocket. As the forward force diminishes with flight, gravity takes over and detaches the boosters from the principal stage. The boosters glide down aided by chutes.
Parachutes on the boosters and onboard cams capturing bird eye shots. Do you need anything else to have your own simulating rocket fun?
- If you want to take your lab dreams to another level, check out our comprehensive tutorial on rocket projects.
- Or if you want try your hand at some ‘solid fuel’ propellants, read up Candy Propellants: Use Sugar to make Rockets, Explosions.
