Water rocket from a plastic bottle with a parachute

The water rocket is an excellent homemade for a fun pastime. The advantage of its creation is the lack of the need for fuel. The main energy resource here is compressed air, which is injected into the plastic bottle with a conventional pump, as well as the liquid that is released from the container under pressure. Let's find out how a water rocket can be constructed from a plastic parachute bottle.

Operating principle

A water rocket from a plastic bottle with its own hands for children is collected quite simply. Only a suitable container filled with a liquid, an automobile or a bicycle pump, as well as a stable launch pad, where the craft will be fixed, is required. After installing the rocket pump pumps up the pressure in the bottle. The latter soars into the air, splashing water. The whole "charge" is spent for the first seconds after take-off. Further, the water rocket continues to move along a ballistic trajectory.

Tools and materials

A water rocket from a plastic bottle requires the following materials:

• Actually the plastic container itself;
• Cork-valve;
• Stabilizers;
• parachute;
• Launching pad.

During the design of a water rocket, you may need scissors, glue or tape, a hacksaw, a screwdriver, all kinds of fasteners.

Bottle

The plastic container for creating a rocket must not be too short or too long. Otherwise, the finished product may be unbalanced. As a result, the water rocket will fly unevenly, fall over on its side or not be able to rise at all. As practice shows, the optimal ratio is the diameter and length of 1 to 7. For initial experiments, a bottle of 1.5 liters is quite suitable.

Bung

To create a water rocket nozzle, it is sufficient to use a plug valve. Cut it off from a bottle of any drink. It is extremely important that the valve does not allow air to pass through. Therefore, it is better to extract it from a new bottle. It is recommended to check its tightness beforehand, closing the container and clenching it with your hands. The plug-valve can be attached to the neck of a plastic bottle with glue, sealing joints with adhesive tape.

Start area

What is required to take off a water rocket from a plastic bottle? The pad plays a decisive role here. For its manufacture, it is sufficient to use a chipboard sheet. Lock the neck of the bottle can be metal clips, installed on a wooden plane.

Parachute

In order for the water rocket to be used several times, in order to successfully land it, it is necessary to provide a self-expanding parachute in the design. Sew its dome can be from a small piece of thick fabric. Slings will serve as a strong thread.

The folded parachute folds neatly and fits into a tin can. When the rocket soars into the air, the lid of the container remains closed. After the launch of the homemade rocket, a mechanical device is triggered that opens the can door and the parachute opens under the influence of the airflow.

To implement the above plan, it is sufficient to use a small reducer, which can be extracted from an old radio machine or a wall clock. In fact, any electric motor on batteries will fit here. After the take-off of the rocket, the shafts of the mechanism begin to rotate, winding the thread, connected to the cover of the container for the parachute. As soon as the latter is released, the dome will fly out, open and the missile will smoothly go down.

Stabilizers

In order for the water rocket to rise steadily, it is necessary to fix it on the launch pad. The simplest solution is to make stabilizers from another plastic bottle. The work is done in the following order:

1. First, take a plastic bottle with a volume of at least 2 liters. The cylindrical part of the container should be flat, do not contain corrugations and textural inscriptions, since their presence can adversely affect the aerodynamics of the product during the launch.
2. The bottom and neck of the bottle is cut off. The resulting cylinder is divided into three strips of identical size. Each of them is folded in half in the form of a triangle. Actually, the folded strips, cut from the cylindrical part of the bottle, will play the role of stabilizers.
3. At the final stage, from the folded edges of the stabilizers, the strips are cut at a distance of the order of 1-2 cm. The formed protruding petals in the central part of the stabilizer are turned in opposite directions.
4. At the base of the future rocket, appropriate slots are made, where the stabilizer petals will be inserted.

Alternatives to plastic stabilizers can serve as pieces of plywood in the form of a triangle. In addition, the missile can do without them. However, in this case, it will be necessary to provide solutions that will allow the product to be fixed on the launch pad in an upright position.

The bow

Since the rocket will be installed with the cork down, it is necessary to put a streamlined nose on the bottom of the inverted bottle. For this purpose, you can cut off the top from another similar bottle. The latter must be worn on the bottom of the inverted product. You can fix such a nasal part with the help of an adhesive tape.

Running

After the above actions, the water rocket is, in fact, ready. It is only necessary to fill the container with water by about a third. Next, you should install the rocket on the launch pad and pump air into it with a pump, pressing the nozzle to the plug with your hands.

In a bottle with a capacity of 1.5 liters, pressure of about 3-6 atmospheres should be injected. To achieve the indicator is more convenient, using an automobile pump with a compressor. In conclusion, it is enough to release the plug-valve, and the rocket will fly into the air under the influence of the water flow from it.

Finally

Apparently, making a water rocket from a plastic bottle is not so difficult. All that is required for its manufacture can be found in the house. The only thing that can cause difficulties is the manufacture of a mechanical system for opening the parachute. Therefore, to facilitate the task, its dome can simply be put on the bow of the rocket.