I bought all the pieces for the newest daddy-obsess...err, "educational project" last thurs and assembled the air rocket launcher this weekend. I followed the pieces/plans in my handy-dandy much loved latest issue of Make Magazine.(you can see a video of their rocket assembly/launch here: http://www.makezine.com/15/airrocket )
Oh. My. Goodness.
Four pumps - FOUR - probably around 20psi - and the rocket went higher than any of the water-rocket launched soda bottles. (albiet without the satisfying soaking of the launcher person..) Ten-12 pumps and the rocket was almost out of sight. The recommended max of 18 pumps (70psi) and the rocket WAS out of sight.
Fortunately, it was paper, and without any recovery system it just nose dives straight back down. Usually to within about a 30' radius of the launcher.
Even after repeated nose dives into the asphalt, it straightened back up and flew real nice.
On our first launch, we completely lost (couldn't see) the rocket with it being a light sky and a masking-tape colored rocket. So we wrapped it in blue painters tape. I figured next time we'll do that, spray paint it, magic markers work well. (I plan on having the kids decorate the next template with crayons/markers and then using clear packing tape to wrap it so their deco's show through)
I didn't take any assembly pictures (sorry...too excited) but here are some shots of the finished thing.
http://picasaweb.google.com/
Action shots, coming up!
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