Newby in water rockets

[THWRC]

Hi everybody,

i'm a newby in the field of Water Rockets. I've just started reading about it but it's kind of hard to filter out the best and most usefull tips.
What are the most important things to remember when building your first Water Rocket? What are the best materials?
What is the best water-air amount?
This is what i've got so far.

- 1 stage rocket
- rip tie release system
- objective pressure 140 Psi
- 1/3 water

Hoping 4 your help.

greetings from Belgium
Sander

[Blenderite]

Welcome to Water Rocketry!!!

The most important thing to remember is to have FUN!!! Just make sure you do not hurt anyone in the process.

The best material to make your water rockets is soda bottles!!! 2 litre bottles are the easiest to work with. As for other fun things like the fins, I would use either Corriflute or some sort of plastic sheeting. If you use plastic sheeting, make sure it is as thin as possible, but still stiff enough not to flop around mid flight.

There are a couple sites I recommend that you check out. One of them, Air Command Water Rockets, and US Water Rockets, both of which are great sites for reference.

As for the amount of water, it just so happens that Air Command has a great article on that: How Much Water?

Sounds like you got a good setup going so far! Good job. If your rockets tend to be like mine, you will get a lot of failures. Don't give up and try again and again. I would recommend that you try to back glide your rocket so that it doesn't turn into a lawn dart. Here is a good site on it: Backgliding Rockets.

Good luck and Have Fun!!!

[Water Rocket Expert]

He is right about the corriflute. But I would recommend against the two liter bottles and for the one liters because of their less drag, cooler look, and easier to work with in my opinion. And that is a great way of recovery with no moving parts although I have yet to use it, I may in my new rocket.

[Blenderite]

I agree the 1 litres are skinnier so there will be less drag, but you have half the space as a 2 litre so you have to have a rocket twice as big to have the same volume. More volume = more water and air. More water and air = more altitude. If I am wrong about that, please let me know.

[Water Rocket Expert]

You are correct about that but I just make them twice as long then, and in this way, backsliding recovery works great. Although I haven't tried it yet I hear it needs to be skinny and long to backslide correctly.

[Water Rocket Expert]

How much pressure can unreinforced FTC hold? I have used it at 180 psi without bursting so how much higher?

[Reptiglorandrockets]

How much pressure can unreinforced FTC hold? I have used it at 180 psi without bursting so how much higher?

I have had a T12-FTC tube explode at 150 PSI without reinforcements. With glass strapping tape, we have pressure tested them to 250PSI without the tube blowing.

[wormster]

I'd also suggest a large field and a hard hat, these things can come in at 90mph plus!

Oh yeah make sure there are NO horses or people close by, water rockets have a habit of flying over biggg hedges!

[Water Rocket Expert]

I'd also suggest a large field and a hard hat, these things can come in at 90mph plus!

Oh yeah make sure there are NO horses or people close by, water rockets have a habit of flying over biggg hedges!

I suppose they would be skewered for BBQ for dinner with a lawn dart spike!

[Reptiglorandrockets]

I'd also suggest a large field and a hard hat, these things can come in at 90mph plus!

Oh yeah make sure there are NO horses or people close by, water rockets have a habit of flying over biggg hedges!

I suppose they would be skewered for BBQ for dinner with a lawn dart spike!

You can eat horse? :-)

[Reptiglorandrockets]

I'd also suggest a large field and a hard hat, these things can come in at 90mph plus!

Oh yeah make sure there are NO horses or people close by, water rockets have a habit of flying over biggg hedges!

I suppose they would be skewered for BBQ for dinner with a lawn dart spike!

Who the horses or the people? :-)

[bugwubber]

FTC gives you a better "rocket like" appearance and performance however they need more work to turn into a water rocket. Coke bottles can often be sourced for free and come with a built in nozzle and hold down handle.

1.5 liter bottles may very well be the perfect water rocket bottles.

Bugwubber

[U.S. Water Rockets1]

FTC gives you a better "rocket like" appearance and performance however they need more work to turn into a water rocket. Coke bottles can often be sourced for free and come with a built in nozzle and hold down handle.

1.5 liter bottles may very well be the perfect water rocket bottles.

Bugwubber

1.5 liter bottles seem to be the most expensive bottles when you factor in how much the drinks cost by volume. You get more liquid for less if you get 2l or 3l bottles.

[bugwubber]

FTC gives you a better "rocket like" appearance and performance however they need more work to turn into a water rocket. Coke bottles can often be sourced for free and come with a built in nozzle and hold down handle.

1.5 liter bottles may very well be the perfect water rocket bottles.

Bugwubber

1.5 liter bottles seem to be the most expensive bottles when you factor in how much the drinks cost by volume. You get more liquid for less if you get 2l or 3l bottles.

Well, living in a small town, 2l= $1.89 and 1.5l =$.99 so kinda funny math here I guess.
Bugwubber

[Water Rocket Expert]

Here a two liter costs 89 cents.