Launch It: Patriot Model Rocket

Have you ever wanted to make your own rocket, instead of buying one from a kit? Well, now you can. This is great for people into model rockets. I will show you how to make a rocket, launch pad and electronic ignitor.

The project will cost about $0 to $20 depending on what you have.

This is a great introductory to model rockets and a great stepping stone for kids learning about the basic principals of flight.

By the way, this is for the contest and i have worked very hard on this, so if you like it dont forget to rate and if you need help feel free to ask me. I will be happy to help.

Here is a video of the launch. The person who was yelling was my little brother in the back round. His voice sounds weird. I am the one who is standing there launching it. My safety gear was my glasses and is hard to see.

Step 1 Safety First

Before we start, it is important to address some safety issues. Even know this isnt that dangerous, it is still important to use caution.


1. When handling the rocket motors, make sure you are away from any ignition sources. Such as candles, sparks, fire and anyone who is smoking. Having a motor go off in your hand wouldnt be to pretty.

2. It is important to store the motors in a cool dry place and not by any ignition sources listed above.

3. When working with a knife, make sure to be on an even surface that wont slip. Or else your rocket will be painted a bright red. It is also a good idea to have an older sibling help or an adult if you are young.

4. Make sure to use all the safety equipment listed below.

5. When launching, make sure your stand at least 15 feet back and the viewers even farther.



Safety Equipment

1. Eye protection

Comments

[mettaurlover]

Hmm... This is a cheaper alternative for making homemade rocket launchers than the one I had before...

[beehard44]

It reminds me of new year. I do not know the english ame, but in the philippines, we launched "kwitis", a rocket on a stick with a surprise ending. What if you used that s the motor. Then your rocket would have additional features. The Self Destruct feature.

I can imagine it launching with a wWHOOOOOOOSH! then the exitement builds (queue background music, tan tan tan tan ta na na na  na na..........) Then BOOM! Oh yeah!

[bikerkid]

great instructable i am going to build that

[piee]

arghhhhhh....] how can i get the b6-4 motor.... it can make ourself...... i not really understand about the using of batteries....(its that the motor???)

[Adiventure]

How many rolls/how thick are the motor casing and body? Also how tall is the body itself?

[Dr. Explosion]

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[kruser495]

nice.

[Dr. Explosion]

You sound a little surprised in the video that it actually worked

[kruser495]

my bro : (

[Dr. Explosion]

ohhhhh i got ya now

[ultrauber]

i just got a kit from a hobby shop and it looks fine. this is a good instructable, but the nose cone looks a bit hard to get perfect. also, i haven't seen b6-4 engines at wal-mart... here's a + for a good instructable

[Dr. Explosion]

I heard somewhere that they stopped selling them at walmart

[indestructables]

dang this rocket is sweet, so can you buy the rocket moters from an ordinary hobby shop?

[kruser495]

yep. they even have motors at target.

[the_4nk8tr]

hey man, Just wanna know more about the ignitor??? im not sure your diagram helps me enough???

[kruser495]

you buy the ignitor.

[unjust]

very -VERY- well done instructible. easy to follow, it brought me right back to my model rocket days.

that said, it's a questionable use of images of the flag. (not that -any- poitician in the usa is using the flag in a respectful manner, muchless 90% of the people displaying it)

http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html#176

[Estwald]

As it appears on his rocket it would fall under "bunting" since a complete flag is not represented.

[kruser495]

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[unjust]

yeah, it's technically illegal and desecration of the flag to display it in any way other than some pretty specific ones. if it's an image identifiable as being the flag it's a no-no, but red white and blue together are ok, a blue field with white stars is ok, but not with red and white stripes.... all of those flag napkins, t-shirts, car flag ribbons, car window screens, 9-11 memorial flags with the names of victims and the like are actually insulting to the flag, not honoring it. (n.b. they are also protected forms of speech and arguably allowed as artwork, but that doesn't mean that they're respectful)

[kruser495]

(removed by author or community request)

[unjust]

(removed by author or community request)

[Kathmandu]

You are right, you aren't a lawyer. from the very link you posted; Criminal penalties for certain acts of desecration to the flag were contained in Title 18 of the United States Code prior to 1989. The Supreme Court decision in Texas v. Johnson; June 21, 1989, held the statute unconstitutional. This statute was amended when the Flag Protection Act of 1989 (Oct. 28, 1989) imposed a fine and/or up to I year in prison for knowingly mutilating, defacing, physically defiling, maintaining on the floor or trampling upon any flag of the United States. The Flag Protection Act of 1989 was struck down by the Supreme Court decision, United States vs. Eichman, decided on June 11, 1990. While the Code empowers the President of the United States to alter, modify, repeal or prescribe additional rules regarding the Flag, no federal agency has the authority to issue 'official' rulings legally binding on civilians or civilian groups. I think it's a bigger desecration of the US flag to place it on any ordinance used to kill people, or on any weapons system used to kill civilians but the military loves to put them little decals on everything. Be that as it may, giving this person hell over using an American flag based pattern on a model rocket is... I dunno, lame. I, for one, like this instructable and the color scheme is well done and being a patriotic veteran, I find nothing that desecrates the flag in this.

[Kathmandu]

One man's providing information and feed back in a supportive manner is another man's giving hell. Here is my point, when the Supreme Court declares a set of laws as unconstitutional they are no longer laws and are not enforceable and one is not breaking the law if the law is declared unconstitutional. Therefore the code is more a set of what ya might call guidelines really, arrr. A patriotic American follows the code out of respect and love of country without the need of whips and chains to make them. It's ah, pretty obvious its a photograph of a flag waving that was used to decorate the rocket, a portion of a picture of a waving flag actually that results in a few stars and a stripe or two does not constitute a flag. No one could mistake this as a flag. It could be a Liberian flag for that matter and I can't imagine, even in the darkest days of McCarthyism that many people would have raised an eyebrow over this. There is a difference between enforcing the spirit of a set of laws with a sense of fairness and justice like Sheriff Taylor, then there is the Barney Fife style of enforcing the very letter of the law making everyones life miserable and they only let you have one bullet for a reason. Don't be Barney.

[Hawaii00000]

I made a model rocket similar to this and the nose was REALLY hard to get right.

[dominique_Smarts]

ok i seen better

[kruser495]

yeah ok

[Firebert010]

I enjoy buying rocket kits from my local hobby shop, but I've never made one from paper before. How does it hold up after multiple launches? The ones I buy come with the nose cone, body tube, and sometimes balsa wood. I avoid those with the molded plastic fins, as they take all the fun out of making the rocket. If I would have known how much of a good response this got I'd have posted one long ago.

[kruser495]

it holds up better than the thin cardboard body tubes they have in kits. plus, you can make alot more rockets cheaper. there is no end, you could put more tubes on add more fins and if you have the write motors go two stage. it is poster board sprayed with glue. it is rock solid but light enough to have a b-4 launch it about 700 ft in the air as in the video. dont forget to vote. ~josh

[Firebert010]

I would imagine the paper would hold better. It's not impossible to put more fins on the kit tubes, but it sure would be cheaper. You have my vote!

[kruser495]

thank you very much! yep, the poster board tube is rock hard. ur right, you could always add more fins to it. ~Josh

[ethanr111]

wow this is awsome

[chloride]

nice i did something like this at science camp one year but it was alot more ghetto

[kruser495]

thanks, dont forget to rate!

[katrina30]

great rocket. nice pictures!

[ridler7]

This looks like a great rocket - alot of time and effort put into this neatly made rocket. good job.

[Pbyrd]

He could just be showing that America uses Patriot missles to acheive air superiority

[Stew2]

Looks fantastic! Reminds me of when I used to make these when I was a kid :) I cheated and used kits though... Great job and a very nice rocket my friend!

[lordofthedonuts]

Very good job! Great Instructable! I've not much to say on it's just pretty good.

[alienwear]

very good but you shouldn't class sunglasses as safty goggles!