Hello Water Rocket Enthusiasts

This forum is for new members to introduce themselves and tell us how they got started in water rocketry.
stratofins
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Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:38 am

Hello Water Rocket Enthusiasts

Post by stratofins »

Hello, I am probably late to the game, since I have had several invitations to join this forum in the past; however, I am always too busy to take the few minutes to register, sign in, and introduce myself. I am the inventor of StratoFins, screw-on water rocket fins, which are made of lightweight plastic that are almost indestructible. It took almost 2 years to bring these fins from concept to saleable product and they were initially released for sale in February 2013. StratoFins are compatible with 95% of all available launchers either homemade or commercial whether the launcher employs the Clark cable ties, a rubber stopper, an expanding tube, a nozzle, or O-ring. No tools or glue required for assembly, simply screw-on to a 2 liter soda bottle or smaller and you are ready to go. Check out our brief 2 – 3 min. videos below:

Shows the fins, parachute and launcher in action.
[youtube][/youtube]

Fin vs. no fin comparison
[youtube][/youtube]

History of the idea for StratoFins


Hopefully I can take some time to read the wealth of information that is available on this forum. Glad to finally join this great community. Chat with you later.

Kind regards,
Don
http://www.stratofins.com
beginingrocket
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Re: Hello Water Rocket Enthusiasts

Post by beginingrocket »

welcome to the forum im beginingrocket I have built only 2 big rockets and like the fins u have made ,im a teenager 13 to be exact. im looking forward to see some of the products you have made. I started water rocketry because of boy scouts of America and wouldn't be here with out them they started my interest. and if I were to buy a altimeter one how much would that be to ship if I live in Virginia ?
stratofins
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Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:38 am

Re: Hello Water Rocket Enthusiasts

Post by stratofins »

Thank you, glad to make your acquaintance. Interesting, Boy Scouts probably represents at least 30% of our business. They are a great organization and definitely promote water rocketry. Shipping on the Altimeters is only $2 - $3 for First Class mail and around $5.30 for USPS Priority mail. The newest one AltimeterThree came out just this year and is pretty cool in that it interfaces with your phone or tablet (IOS and Android) and graphs out the launch among other things. It is a bit pricey, but offers a lot of features. All the Altimeters we selll work the same when it comes to measuring altitude though by comparing barometric pressure from launch to apogee.

I have a favor to ask of those who have a Facebook account. Apparently, I need to receive at least 250 votes by June 19 to be considered for a Chase Mission Main St. Small Business Grant that I applied for recently. Receiving this grant would greatly help us expand our business and product line. I still have a long way to go with only 127 votes last I checked. Unfortunately in this case most of my family, friends are like myself and Facebookless for various reasons. Anyway if you have a Facebook account and a few seconds please take the time to click the link below and click on the vote button, nothing else to do, buy, or get spammed with. Chase will pop up a brief survey either before or after you click the vote button, but you may dismiss that immediately since taking the survey is not required. Thanks again for your help and if you can rally any other family or friends to my cause I would greatly appreciate it.

https://shar.es/1rEG0b

Kind regards,
Don
Relationshipware LLC
beginingrocket
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Re: Hello Water Rocket Enthusiasts

Post by beginingrocket »

hey is this product 3d printed?
stratofins
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Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:38 am

Re: Hello Water Rocket Enthusiasts

Post by stratofins »

No, our StratoFins are NOT 3D printed. They are injection molded plastic here in the USA, which makes them durable yet flexible enough to absorb shock on impact on crash landings and survive. Our prototypes were 3D printed, SLA, and other processes, but none of these held up since they were all brittle. The prototypes were okay for testing designs for launches and return flights, but they wouldn’t hold up to landings without parachutes. Aside from performance, durability was a key component in our design, production process and material selection. Stratofins are good for thousands of launches. People tend to lose them because their rockets fly 2 - 3X higher, than they are accustomed to and wind causes the rockets to drift off further with those high altitudes where they cannot find them or off into trees that they didn't think it would reach.
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bugwubber
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Re: Hello Water Rocket Enthusiasts

Post by bugwubber »

I'm curious if you did any testing on nozzle size and why you chose to go with the standard bottle neck width. Any tests done with the 1/2" CPVC (~5/8" ID nozzle)?
Bugwubber

Team S.P.E.W.
stratofins
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Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:38 am

Re: Hello Water Rocket Enthusiasts

Post by stratofins »

Sorry for the delayed response. I am used to receiving emails with other groups and don't always log in to see what is happening on this forum. The idea behind the StratoFins was to make them compatible with just about every launcher out there both homemade and commercial, which for the most part we accomplished. We retained the threads of a 2 liter bottle on the lower part of our attachment ring so that a nozzle (i.e. the Quest system) can be screwed on to it. Also, I have screwed on a modified Gardena hose Quick Connect and made a launcher using this method, but I haven't been very successful in getting to to fly straight without adding a long track. Other guide rods haven't worked very well. Yes, a nozzle system would be nice and I haven't given up on it, but for right now the market is for the simple full bore launchers and as mentioned the StratoFins can be used with both systems. No I haven't done anything with the 1/2" CPVC pipe.
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WRA2
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Re: Hello Water Rocket Enthusiasts

Post by WRA2 »

stratofins wrote:Sorry for the delayed response. I am used to receiving emails with other groups and don't always log in to see what is happening on this forum. The idea behind the StratoFins was to make them compatible with just about every launcher out there both homemade and commercial, which for the most part we accomplished. We retained the threads of a 2 liter bottle on the lower part of our attachment ring so that a nozzle (i.e. the Quest system) can be screwed on to it. Also, I have screwed on a modified Gardena hose Quick Connect and made a launcher using this method, but I haven't been very successful in getting to to fly straight without adding a long track. Other guide rods haven't worked very well. Yes, a nozzle system would be nice and I haven't given up on it, but for right now the market is for the simple full bore launchers and as mentioned the StratoFins can be used with both systems. No I haven't done anything with the 1/2" CPVC pipe.
Don,

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