Click here to see my 82 year old father launch the rocket above. (409kB movie).

After launching the first prototype several times I have spent a lot of time on developing a new way to launch the rocket. A way which would give me control over the launch moment. While doing research about this subject I came across a high pressure valve.

I will test this valve very soon. So, check regularly if you are interested in the test results.

I have tested it...see the “Missing in action” page for the test results. Once I have build a new and better rocket, the tests will continue. So keep checking for new results. The next set of tests will also be captured on video.

H2O rocket section

This section still needs some work, but for starters here are the main ingredients you will need to get started.

Rocket stuff:

• 1.5l PET (platic reuseable) bottle
• tubless tire valve

The launch pad ingredients

• small compressor (or bicyle tire pump)
• PVC pipe(s)
• O-rings

The launching ingredients

• Water
• Compressed air
   

With Proton missing in action it was time to build a new rocket. I have named it MAX.

MAX

This rocket is build with the same materials as Proton. The first flight still has to come. Above you can see the rocket in its pre flight form. I’m curious what it will look like after its first flight. As soon as the first flight is a fact I will upload the flight movie and some pictures of the rocket after it landed, that is if I will be able to retrieve it.

Well in the meanwhile my curiosity had been satisfied. I finally had an opportunity to launch the rocket. The first, of two launches, was the most spectacular. The descent of the rocket was quite spectacular, that is at least from my point of view. While filming the rockets descent I got this feeling that it was coming back to its builder. It was, I didn’t move an kept filming, I wasn’t going to move ... BANG ... just a few inches next to me the rocket hit the ground. If you would like to see it with your own eyes, then I suggest you take a look at the movie.

CAPR

CAPR is short for Cardboard Air Propelled Rocket. Above there are two photos, the one on the left is the finished product before the first launch, the one the right shows the rocket after 8 launches. I build this rocket together with my kids on a Sunday afternoon. For launching we used the Pyro Pipe II. After launching it the first time I was quite surprised by the height it reached (about 30 to 40 meters). Because it was already getting dark the movie I shot did only show the landing. I decided to shoot a new movie the next day at daylight. The next day stared out as a typical Murphy is in the house day. So, to keep the story short take a look at the movie first.  As you can see in the movie, most tests won’t even come close to a height of 10 meters; the only test that comes close to the claimed altitude is the second test. Still the rocket did not reach the altitude of the day before. After the tests in the movie I put down the camera and decided to do the launching myself to see if that would make a difference, it did not. Eventually I took a good look at the rocket and discovered that it was slightly damaged. I repaired the rocket and tried again. Yes, again it reached a height of at least 30 meters. Uuhh, I realized that there was no camera running. While the rocket started it’s descent I thought: “Never mind just launch again with a running camera”. Then I saw the rocket landing on one of my neighbor’s rooftops. This means another rocket reached the missing in action list. This means I won’t be able to proof that the rocket really reached an altitude between 30 and 40 meters.

I have been able to estimate the take off velocity though. The second test was filmed at about 25 fps. In one of the frames the rocket is still on the launch pipe, the next frame it’s completely out of the frame. I used the height of the Pyro Pipe as a reference for measuring the distance that the rocket traveled in 1/25 of a second. The distance at least was 1.5 meters, this is the height between the bottom of the rocket an the top of the frame. This comes to a velocity of at least 1.5 * 25 * 3.6 =  135 km/h (84 mph). That’s quite astonishing for a featherweight cardboard rocket.

Once we have build a new C.A.P.R. we will be back with a new movie which undoubtfully will proof that it can reach a height of about 30 to 40 meters.