Ozone Probe Two Stage

[Water Rocket Expert]

Hey all. This week for I got an Ozone Probe Two Stage Kit to fly 500'. I still have much to learn, but today I took it out to the park for a whirl. The first launch I just used the upper stage, which according to the Altimeter, it went 135 feet. I thought it didn't go too high. But then maybe I thought I didn't pump it up enough. You see, you can't view the pressure in the rocket without launching it. It is supposed to be pressurized to 80 psi. When you pump the air goes through a tiny hose and through a tiny hole in the rubber nipple that keeps it from launching, so the air goes through slow. Then when you let it equalize the nipple shrinks and it launches. So you really can't tell the exact pressure, just an estimate. As far as, putting the rocket together, it all goes together with rubber bands, fairly easy to put together, it took me about 45 minutes to put it together but when I figured it all out it went faster. Every time it falls it doesn't have a parachute, and to keep the fins and other parts from breaking they make it all fall apart and the rubber bands pop off. Good strategy but I wish that it had a parachute. It uses a bumper on impact. I have to try more as the sun went down, but the when I launched the two stage for the first time, the sustainer separated at about 10 feet the rocket turned on its side and flew about 100 feet. The second time I launched it, it when about 25 feet as claimed but the sustainer only when to 165 feet, and more ballistic. There trouble shooting says that you should pressurize it more if that happens. By the time I tried that, one of the fins had actually broken and even though the package included a lot of spares, I didn't have them with me. The fins can be repair with foam safe CA. It says it will go 500 feet. That is yet to be proven. Is the AltimeterTwo junk; I don't know. But it said 165 feet and it looked about right. It is a great experience to own it and see how the staging mechanism works. Was it worth $57.99? Well I could say the materials probably cost $5 bucks to make, but consider they do have to ship it from Canada, the do have to do the research and make the machinery. It is really cool. When I get another camera, I will put one on it and post the video. Below are some pictures of what was included with the rocket kit. Remember, this is the Ozone Probe Water Rocket Kit. Here you go. Please comment! If you want more pictures just ask!

[Blenderite]

Looks like you are progressing! Good job! I would recommend that you replace the cardboard fins with either foamboard fins or corriflute fins. The cardboard will disintegrate after a flight or two. Corriflute is basically cardboard made out of plastic. The same material that is used for a lot of those signs that you see along the side of the road.

[Reptiglorandrockets]

For me, $57 would be pretty steep when you could make a 2-stage rocket a lot cheaper yourself.

[Water Rocket Expert]

Looks like you are progressing! Good job! I would recommend that you replace the cardboard fins with either foamboard fins or corriflute fins. The cardboard will disintegrate after a flight or two. Corriflute is basically cardboard made out of plastic. The same material that is used for a lot of those signs that you see along the side of the road.

Where can I buy the Corriflute? I don't want to steal signs yo know!

[U.S. Water Rockets1]

For me, $57 would be pretty steep when you could make a 2-stage rocket a lot cheaper yourself.

Their products are well made, but they have some crazy pricing. It may be different now, but at one point they were charging $5.00 for a bottle cap with a hole in it. These rocket designs are fairly old now (10 years?), so the NRE on the manufacturing equipment should be long taken care of.

As far as 500 feet goes, you are probably not going to get close to that with these rockets. They tend to oversell the capabilities of their rockets in their advertising. Back in 2003 when they launched their A37 rocket to 1242 feet, the advertising on their site claimed the two stage rocket they were selling would fly "over 1000 feet high". If you think about it, a pair of 2 liter bottles at 80PSI just doesn't have the energy to go to 500 feet. Especially not with a tiny nozzle.

As you learn and build more of your own rockets, you will be able to easily build rockets that can fly 500 feet. It just takes some practice. Keep at it and you will be amazed what you can do!