Bottle rocket

Do you dream of being a space pilot? Or are you interested in a more practical aeronautical adventure? If either of these describes you, follow these clear directions to build and launch your own bottle rocket.

Required Materials:

• 1 empty 2-Liter soda bottle a 1-inch hose clamp
• 1 bottle of rubber cement 2 2-inch long nails
• 1 2”x4”x12” piece of wood 1 6”x1/2”x18” piece of wood
• 1 can paint thinner 4 thin sheets balsa wood, 6”x4”
• 1 manilla folder 1 electrical knockout junction box
• 3” thin steel, 1/8” diameter 12” strong twine or string
• 1 roll masking tape electrical junction knockout box
• 5 wood screws, 1” long
• Test tube stopper, size #4, with a hole in the center
• Copper tubing, 12” in length, diameter small enough to fit into the rubber stopper

Required Tools:

• Hammer compass
• Drill scissors
• Air compressor sand paper
• Permanent marker angle
• Jigsaw
• Screwdriver (regular or Phillips, size will vary depending on your selection of wood screws.)

Instructions:

Make the rocket:

1. Rinse the soda bottle. Allow it to dry completely. Take off the label. Use paint thinner to remove every trace of remaining glue.
2. Using the angle, outline a 5”x3” right triangle on each piece of balsa wood. Cut the triangles out with a jigsaw. Sand the edges of the triangles until they are smooth. These are your rocket’s fins.
3. Mark the place on the bottle where each rocket fin will attach. The four fins should attach to the bottle at an equal distance from one another, with the 5” side of the triangle flush against the side of the soda bottle.
4. Attach each fin with rubber cement. Tape the fins in place with masking tape. The fins should be even and straight, so that the rocket appears symmetrical from all sides.
5. Using the compass, draw a circle 4” in diameter. Cut a straight line from the outer edge of the circle to the center. Fold the circle into a funnel with a small opening and glue the sides of the funnel together. Secure it with a small piece of tape.
6. Glue the funnel, point skyward, to the top of your soda bottle rocket. Tape it in place.
7. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly, overnight. Remove the tape after the glue has dried.

To Make the Launching Pad: