Professional water rocket guide

Professional water rocket guide
This Instructable will show you the how to build and fly water rockets. Featuring two stage rockets and drop away boosters, and also some basics.
This instructable is based on my knowledge of water rockets, that I have learn in the past few years.

I am not responsible for any damage you infict on your self or others from launching or building water rockets

Have fun building and flying!
 
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Step 1Lets get Started

Lets get Started
A water rocket is propelled by pressurised air forcing water down though a nozzle. This creates thrust.

If you took a standard two litre fizzy soft drink bottle and pressurised it to120 psi the rocket would reach about 100 or so feet.

But then if you took 2, two litres bottles and pressurised it to 120 psi again the rocket would go about 150 feet or so because the rocket has more air in it therefore creating more thrust. The rocket will only go 50 feet more because of the added mass. You can stop this by making a two stage rocket. A two stage rocket will work better because it would not have to carry the full payload on all of its flight.
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84 comments
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Dec 20, 2009. 11:54 AMfirezone says:
do you actually own the copyright to these diagrams, i highly doubt you have gone through what is needed to have the copyright for them and putting that little "copyright OscarThompson" in your pictures doesn't actually do anything
Nov 24, 2011. 9:37 PMRGalliath says:
Everything is copywright from the moment someone comes up with it he is just saying they are his or someone elses
May 22, 2011. 11:05 PMleiamme says:
He is just putting acknowledgment that it is his.
Mar 5, 2010. 8:49 PMIan01 says:
I'm pretty sure you get copyright automatically, even if you don't claim it.
Nov 24, 2011. 9:29 PMRGalliath says:
Adding weight in the nose cone will shift the center of gravity up making more unstable and more likely to tip over in flight
Oct 27, 2011. 11:03 PMcbills says:
nice water rocket
do you have a web site
Aug 19, 2011. 1:42 PMconnoboarder says:
i like it!! definately gonna make sumthin like this one
Jul 15, 2011. 10:10 AMteenuvibhav says:
verry good ilike
May 22, 2011. 10:50 PMleiamme says:
What kind of plumbing coupling?
Jan 18, 2011. 5:16 PMfamos_amos says:
what with the picture?
Jan 16, 2011. 4:15 PMrocketman20 says:
how long will the pressure hold
Dec 15, 2010. 7:50 PMMatrix-technician says:
Wow, this is amazing! Keep up the good work!
Aug 13, 2010. 4:26 AMKryptonite says:
Wow, nice build!
Jun 29, 2010. 2:25 PMpopscott3 says:
Cool!
May 27, 2010. 3:35 PMneedfortoast says:
What kind of glue should I use
Apr 26, 2010. 5:35 PMjason.buckmann says:
who cares if he has a copyright?!?!? this is a great instructable that i used to spend a few hours with my daughter AND an instructional speech for my speech class. but the instructions you put on here were clear and easy to read. and i researched the launcher online for several hours and i believe this to be the best one.

i used the 2 bottle design and i used gorilla glue (which is stronger than hot glue). the thing reached 15 to 20 feet in the air and the reason for this failure was my choice of glue. the glue expanded like it is designed to BUT this glue is not a good adhesive for the plastic in the bottles.

i can see the potential if i just follow instructions (this was a problem for me growing up). i always think i can improve the process, but once again i am wrong. but my daughter had an awesome time, i had a great time, and we got the whole family together for the launch so the project was still an overall success. i will be building bigger and better in the near future.

thanks for the great instructable oscarthompson!
May 16, 2010. 9:52 PMchbue070780 says:
I used to make make water rockets when I was a kid.  All I ever used was a 2 liter bottle, duct tape, and the valve stem from a tire.  Drill a hole just slightly smaller than the valve stem in the plastic lid and jam the sucker through it as far as you can, wrap the bottle with duct tape (just one layer is fine) - this is a "better safe than sorry kinda thing" -  never had one blow up.  Fill the bottle about 1/5 of the way with water, use a hand pump or air compressor to add about 45 psi, turn upside down and unscrew the lid.  Mine usually went above 100 feet easy, of course I used a bit more pressure.  ;)
Apr 16, 2010. 5:25 PMTSC says:
I'm gus this does not go high   it looks to big to go high!!! But any way sweet!!! 5stars!!!!!!!!
Apr 7, 2010. 10:32 AMLowney says:
Can we see a video of your big rocket?
Feb 7, 2010. 1:19 AMmax0506 says:
what do you mean with rubber bung in the part list of step 10
Mar 5, 2010. 2:03 PMmax0506 says:
I see thanx
Feb 23, 2010. 9:45 AMjuanpedro132 says:
i like the idea but i don't konw anything.
How can i do for fill the boosters?
do i have to put their a valvle each?
and are the boosters gonig to fall down?
if yeah how will i do it ?
thanks for the  ideas.

Dec 4, 2009. 12:13 PMraynman217 says:
good so far, but the diagram for this step cannot be viewed properly at the current size, and even when viewed at the right size, it is very hard to understand.
Nov 25, 2009. 9:30 PMm_debator says:
This is AWESOME!  Its the John Holmes of water bottle rockets.
Nov 17, 2009. 11:55 AMgingerlad95 says:
what is the materials list for this project
Nov 19, 2009. 11:33 AMgingerlad95 says:
all of it
we need to know the materials list for everything SO WE CAN DO THE PROJECT...
AND PASS OUR CLASS
Nov 17, 2009. 11:43 AMgingerlad95 says:
what is the materials list for this project
Nov 17, 2009. 11:41 AMgingerlad95 says:
what is the materials list for this project
Oct 24, 2009. 1:06 PMBartboy says:
I was wondering what you meant by "professional" when I clicked on this.
I don't anymore....

Some of those rockets look really awesome!
How big is the biggest water rocket you've ever made?
Oct 25, 2009. 6:57 AMBartboy says:
It looks really awesome!
I'd like to see the biggest one ever made, but with a quick google search I couldn't find a name.
What is the biggest water rocket ever made?
Nov 15, 2009. 8:30 AMKinnishian says:
 If you count hydrogen oxygen rockets whose exhaust is H20... :)
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Author:oscarthompson
I like to make instructables which are fun to build or make. I'm instrested in rockets, Bikes science and Rowing. send me a message if you have any questions.