Ultimate Straw Rocket!

by pudi.dk

134K199107

Intro: Ultimate Straw Rocket!

What is the "Ultimate Straw Rocket"?
Answer: A very easy to make rocket made from a drinking straw, and launched using air pressure.
Almost everyone will be able to make this, it does not require any hard-to-find items, but also can it be made in very little time. Therefore will the rockets themselves be very easy to mass produce.
They will fly HIGH up in the air, and then land on the ground, completely safe!

Okay let's get started!


STEP 1: Gathering Materials

As first said, the items are very easy to get, and you probably already have them lying around your house.
You will need to print following document to continue, though:
Download this .doc!

The rest of the materials are descriped in the picture.

STEP 2: Making the Rocket

Cut a 6cm piece of a straw.
Put a dot of hot glue in one end of the straw making sure it's air tight.

STEP 3: Attaching Fins

Now cut out a pair of fins from the printed document.
Then fold and glue the fins together. Stippled lines means "fold backwards", whereas straight lines means the opposite.
You can use hot glue to glue the fins together, but I find that white glue (Elmer's glue or wood glue) works well.

Then glue the backside (the white side) and attach it around the straw, approximately 1-1.5 cm from the open end of the straw.

STEP 4: Launch It!

The rocket is finished now! Wasn't that easy?
Now for launching it:
Insert it all the way down in the nozzle of the bike pump, and give the bike pump a good, fast pump! Now enjoy your small flying rockets...
I had my rockets to go as high as ~10 metres!
Don't forget goggles, you don't want the rocket in your, or everyone else's eyes.



Thanks to Peter Hald for inspiration.

95 Comments

obasan 6 years ago

The fin pattern document is no longer available. I tried searching on Google, but couldn't find a similar fin. Does anyone have a source? Thanks

curtis14 8 years ago

tried it on the air conpressor

samdadbob 8 years ago

Did it work? If so how high did it fly?

austin42 10 years ago

ever tried making it a dart

122717 10 years ago

Hey, I'm comment # 100!!!!!!! Awesome project

an1153 12 years ago

can you use anything other than a hot glue gun to air-tight the straw?

doo da do 11 years ago

Calk, or gum may work.

retrotimelord 12 years ago

Eh i'm puttin mine on the air compresser!!

an1153 12 years ago

LOL i think it will reach space!

Puck13 13 years ago

IS it posible to use anything oter than straws?

hjjusa 12 years ago

I used Open Office to open it, it is a very handy free progam that will open most anything, free download online

JudyT 13 years ago

thanks so much for this site. I'm a Preschool teacher doing an Outer space unit and think this is a super idea for little kids. Makes it so much easier to get ALL the details! Thanks again from Montana!

farlandhunter 12 years ago

it's the best airrocket to make at home! It's just way too awesome!

jtalvy 13 years ago

It's at the bottom of step 1
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