If you have any other questions, please join our Water Rocket Forum to discuss them with the membership.
Does it cost anything to join the WRA2?
There is no cost to join and there are no dues or entry fees. Simply fill out the short Membership Application.
How do I make a record claim?
Post your record claim to the
WRA2 record submissions forum.
Items required:
Onboard video for both flights.
Ground videos for both flights
Raw altimeter data for both flights
Weight of the flight ready rocket.
Time and date for each flight.
Optional Items:
Design drawings
Detailed still photos
Simulator data
A forum account needs to be registered to post your submissions (registration is free).
Why do I need a website?
The website is needed to make public your record claim. There are many free hosting sites
available to choose from so cost is not an issue.
Do I have to have a website set up before I join?
No, you do not.
The rules say I have to maintain full launch pressure for 10 minutes if I use a SCUBA tank. Why is this?
There are 2 reasons for the holding at launch pressure. The first is to
negate the advantage of quickly filling the rocket and launching it. This is known as a stomp rocket. This rule
is intended to equalize using a tank with a compressor. When using a compressor the rocket is filled over a long
period of time so the rocket must be constructed strong enough to hold the pressure for long periods of time.
A "stomp rocket" does not have to hold the pressure and can be constructed lighter which would give a
team using a tank an advantage.
Why is an onboard video camera required?
The camera is required to prove that the flight took place. Flight duration
and time to apogee can be compared to that altimeter graph. Ground videos can be inconclusive as it is nearly impossible
to capture the entire flight. You wouldn’t want the flight to be invalidated because the ground camera lost sight of it
when it landed behind a tree or building.
Wouldn’t my rocket go higher if I didn’t have a camera onboard?
It would go higher but the flight would be invalid. Everyone must pay the same weight penalty.
Why are firecrackers or black powder not allowed for deploy?
Fire safety! You wouldn’t want to start a forest fire or burn down a
building with a deploy or rocket malfunction
What kind of materials am I allowed to build my rocket with?
You may use any materials except metal. Metal is dangerous if contacting power
lines and could provide shrapnel danger if the pressure vessel fails. Soft drink containers, plastic, cardboard, wood,
fiberglass are acceptable.
What parts of the rocket cannot be made from metal?
The parts of the rocket that cannot be made are the nozzle, fins, body, and the end plugs.
Metal parts attached to the outside of the pressure vessel such as rivets, screws, nuts, bolts, brackets, or guides.
What parts made from metal are allowed. I have a tomy timer that has metal gears, spindles, and springs. Would I be able to use it on my rocket?
Small metal parts are allowed inside an enclosed payload bay. This would include: springs, wires, latches, electronics, and batteries as long as they are enclosed inside a payload bay.
What would happen if I already built my rocket using an aluminum nozzle?
Any flights already made would be considered ineligible for a world record due to a non compliant rocket but
may be listed as a personal best as all the other non compliant flights would be. You would have to modify the rocket to meet WRA2 rules and fly it again and resubmit the flights with the compliant rocket.
I have an old non-metal SCUBA tank, can I use this to make my rocket?
No. You must engineer and build the pressure vessel yourself. Use of manufactured
high pressure enclosures are forbidden. Any kind of container that wasn't originally designed for high pressures is
acceptable.
Does anybody even have the record for the class B and if so what is their website and altitude record.
The class "B" record currently stands at 1060 Feet. The altitude was
achieved by the millennium rocket prior to the formation of the WRA2 and is grandfathered in. This altitude was
achieved without the onboard camera and with only a single flight. Without the camera this rocket has a weight advantage.
I just completed the membership application. Why isn't my team name on the memberlist page?
Membership applications take approximately 24-48 hours to process, after that you should see your team name on the memberlist page.
The forum says I need to post 15 posts to view the advanced topics. Do I still need to post 15 if I join the WRA2?
No. WRA2 members gain instant access to the advanced forums plus the exclusive members only forums.
I was a member of the forum and just recently joined the WRA2 and I do not have access to the advanced forum. What do I do?
Send a private message to the forum administrator (WRA2) and give the team name you used on the
WRA2 membership application (especially if the name you applied using was different from your forum name).
Maybe you should try to put the teams website public so everyone can see their work.
We are adding a standings page. We will ask the teams involved if they want to have
a link on the standings page to their website. On the standings page will also be a list of "personal best" flights.
These flights will not be considered world records because one or more rules were not complied with and are treated as "practice flights".
I love the new site update. Looks really nice and clean. I just have one question though. If i were to launch a 2 stage
rocket that didn't break the current world record but because the current one had no onboard camera and didn't meet the
world record flight criteria then would I get the record or would the old one still stand because I didn't beat it?
Just a question.....
The first team to beat 1000 feet with a WRA2 compliant rocket will be able to claim
the WRA2 Class "B" world record. The bar had to be set somewhere and 1000 feet seemed reasonable. Since
we have teams launching Class "A" rockets around 2000 feet with a single stage, 1000 feet seems a reasonable
starting point for multi-stage. We wouldn't want someone claiming a "world record" by flying a rocket 300 feet.
Good luck in your quest for 1000 feet!
The link I followed to this site said there was a C class and unlimited class where are your official rules for these
classes? Or do they not exist?
The class "C" is our newest class. As the association grows we will add
more classes. Plans are to add an "altitude challenge and a water rocket powered car competition are being finalized.
I was planning on making a 2 stage rocket using a water cooler bottle as the first stage but I think it might be too heavy.
What if I have a friend that is NAR certified for high power and he was a member of my team and we launched our rocket at
his launch site that has airspace clearance, would we be able to launch a larger and heavier rocket in the class B
competition.
No, the maximum weight for the rocket cannot exceed 1500 grams (dry). Even though with a high
power certification, you may be able to launch the rocket at that launch site, it would not be eligible for any water
rocket world records. The reason is that this would give unfair advantage to anyone that was willing to go through the
expense of gaining a "high power" license. This was one of the main reasons we formed the WRA2 to be a separate entity
from the NAR's of the world. All WRA2 competitions were designed to be accessible for everyone and that launching could
be done in one's own back yard if necessary. If we allowed heavier rockets to compete there would be only big budget
professional pyro teams competing and no one else would be able to afford to compete.
Which tank do you mean is my question? The rocket tank or the scuba tank? It
reads like you are talking about the scuba (or SCUBA) cylinder. It is much more
likely that homemade rocket pressure vessel would fail than a DOT approved and
inspected scuba tank would.
We are referring to the rocket "pressure vessel" If we allowed
manufactured tanks to be used as the pressure chamber on the rocket the contest would quickly degrade
into a "who has the most money to buy the biggest tank" As of the 1st of January 2009 SCUBA tanks as a
pressure source will be allowed (with special rules to equalize the use of tanks with that of a compressor). Copies of
tank and operator certifications will need to be submitted when filing any record claims.
If I were to provide a copy of my tank certification and a copy of the receipt from the filling station can I use a
CO2 tank to fill my rocket if I provide this documentation?
Venting CO2 into the atmosphere is a cause of global warming and should be
discouraged. Since CO2 has a higher amount of stored energy at the same pressure as air, it would be unfair to everyone to allow it's use.
Use of bottled breathable air is allowed under the rules as long as the special rules preventing stomp rockets are adhered to.
If you have any questions, please join our Water Rocket Forum to discuss them with us.
