Water Rocket Forum

Hi everyone, this is my first post on this forum. At our school for a Technology class, our goal is to build a water rocket. The launcher that we used for testing is the Aquapod (Link Here http://www.theaquapod.com/). Since I am just starting out, I bought one this afternoon for fun. The demo videos show just a plain bottle being launched into the air (It says it launches up to 100 Feet). If I use my model (With a nose cone and fins out of a two liter bottle), should it be able to fly more than 100 feet as it says. Thanks!

GTaustin7 wrote:Hi everyone, this is my first post on this forum. At our school for a Technology class, our goal is to build a water rocket. The launcher that we used for testing is the Aquapod (Link Here http://www.theaquapod.com/). Since I am just starting out, I bought one this afternoon for fun. The demo videos show just a plain bottle being launched into the air (It says it launches up to 100 Feet). If I use my model (With a nose cone and fins out of a two liter bottle), should it be able to fly more than 100 feet as it says. Thanks!

Hello, welcome to the forum!
So from their product information, they have a safety pressure valve that prevents pressures over 50 psi. Honestly, I consider 50psi a minimum. Anyway, based on my experience, (which isn't a whole lot) yes at 50psi, you can get pretty close to (if not over) 100ft with an aerodynamic, balanced rocket. 75ft is definitely attainable. Naked bottles tend to top out in the 50-60ft range.

Bugwubber

For the same amount of money you could have built a far better launcher yourself. Home Depot or Lowe's has most everything you need, and your local tire store will probably give you a free valve stem if you ask real nice (mine did).

Thanks! I heard at adding bubble soap can help with launches, would it be okay to use with this? Sorry for all the questions, just had a lot ask.

The best answer I can give you is find out! It is a fun experiment.

Oh and apologies for questions aren't allowed here ;-)
Seriously, ask away.

Bugwubber

GTaustin7 wrote:Thanks! I heard at adding bubble soap can help with launches, would it be okay to use with this? Sorry for all the questions, just had a lot ask.

And yes, soap won't hurt the bottles or the launcher. From what I understand you can't use soapy water for the altitude competitions but other than that, you can try it out.

Bugwubber

*bumped*

Is there any way to shut the 'safety valve'? I'd like to push it to 80-90psi. I'm yet to buy one however.

I am doubtful that the rest of the launcher could hold that much. It appears to be cheap plastic.

I did a google search to see if there was anything that would tell me how the AquaPod is made and I couldn't find anything. The only thing I can really think of would be to seal the release hole with PLP or some other super strong adhesive. That way it can hold the pressure. There may be a better way but I don't know how it works so I don't know.

If you buy one, post pictures and we can help you figure it out.

We get a lot of advertising from people who make their own water rocket components and then set up a website or something that mimics a professional toy company. It's hard to know what is manufactured and what is homemade.

It would be possible to blank off the ssafety valve, but I wouldn't recommend it, i've had one split while being pressurizedresulting in iit taking off sideways.
I've done a rocket session with our local Cub pack, using an Aquapod launcher. We built rockets by duct taping a tennis ball to the base for a nose cone and hotmelt gluing corflute fins on after putting a strip of fabric strapping tape on first to give the glue something to bite into. It was a bit rough and ready, but it aallowed the kids to build the rocket on their own, and fly them on the same session and they were robust enough to survive several launches

Muzza