Advice Needed for school project

[lowerstoford]

My Son is entering a water rocket challage at his school and as i have some experience in water rockets he was hoping i would help him win
there are a few problems,umm sorry,Rules!

rocket will launch from a flat surface for they are not allowed any fins below the centre line!

rocket will launch at 30 degrees so distance will be measured not height

rocket can only have 300ml of water

rocket will be pressurised to an unknown pressure, probably low

rocket has to be ready by Thursday morning (today is Monday!)

So any tips or recommendation to help us win would be a great help

Kind Regards

Lee

[bugwubber]

My Son is entering a water rocket challage at his school and as i have some experience in water rockets he was hoping i would help him win
there are a few problems,umm sorry,Rules!

rocket will launch from a flat surface for they are not allowed any fins below the centre line!

rocket will launch at 30 degrees so distance will be measured not height

rocket can only have 300ml of water

rocket will be pressurised to an unknown pressure, probably low

rocket has to be ready by Thursday morning (today is Monday!)

So any tips or recommendation to help us win would be a great help

Kind Regards

Lee

Sounds more like they want a glider than a rocket.

can you arrange the fins more like an airplane?

[bugwubber]

You can try just a tennis ball taped to the front, or

perhaps sharp delta wings with heavy dihedral and a verticle stabilizer. Almost like a lifting body. Perhaps tape reinforced foam core posterboard.

[lowerstoford]

We have a weighted nose cone ready.

i was thinking if delta wing, i have been trying to figure out best size?

i am also considering tube fins as all my other rockets use them

1 large and angled on each side on small straight on the top ?

Lee

[bugwubber]

We have a weighted nose cone ready.

i was thinking if delta wing, i have been trying to figure out best size?

i am also considering tube fins as all my other rockets use them

1 large and angled on each side on small straight on the top ?

Lee

As an archer, I tend to prefer minimal fins. I don't think you will get a distance boost having large fins or wings. You'll probably just get a lot of drag right at launch followed by a slow glide that might be hampered further by wind condition.

Case in point: [youtube][/youtube]

[lowerstoford]

We do have a chance of some test launches on Wednesday evening
Wind will be the same as forecast for Friday

So I could make up a few different configurations and test which is best

[bugwubber]

We do have a chance of some test launches on Wednesday evening
Wind will be the same as forecast for Friday

So I could make up a few different configurations and test which is best

Cool what size bottles will y'all be using? Are these going on a full bore or gardena launcher?

[Water Rocket Expert]

I don't see how a rocket can be stable with the fins half way up the rocket. Do the people running the event know much about rockets? Maybe it's time to talk to someone in charge.

[bugwubber]

I don't see how a rocket can be stable with the fins half way up the rocket. Do the people running the event know much about rockets? Maybe it's time to talk to someone in charge.

You need to visit flight school then cause Chuck Yeager has a few words for you on the matter. I've decided to build what I suggested to lowerstoford so we can see if ole bugwubber is largely full of it. Will launch it tomorrow morning.

[Water Rocket Expert]

Sounds good. Bring on the report.

[bugwubber]

First, by centerline, assuming you meant with the rocket on its side.

Anyway here's the first flight of me taking own advice

[youtube][/youtube]

[lowerstoford]

Tonight we have read the rules again, only to discover they are only allowed a fin on ONE SIDE!!

I just cant see how this would make any difference at all, so we have decided to have no fins and a heavy nose cone.

We have performed 5 test launches this evening, changing the weight on the first 4 and the 5th was to verify the test results.

We measured the distance the "rocket" tumbled through the air to determine the best nose cone weight

i will upload the rules later so you can all have a laugh at this "rocket challenge"

Videos of the test launches will be added later too.

There are too many unknowns with this, I have no confidence that my son's team will win.

But we are the only ones that have been able to test launch, so you never know.

If it was a real rocket then things would be different.

[bugwubber]

Tonight we have read the rules again, only to discover they are only allowed a fin on ONE SIDE!!

I just cant see how this would make any difference at all, so we have decided to have no fins and a heavy nose cone.

We have performed 5 test launches this evening, changing the weight on the first 4 and the 5th was to verify the test results.

We measured the distance the "rocket" tumbled through the air to determine the best nose cone weight

i will upload the rules later so you can all have a laugh at this "rocket challenge"

Videos of the test launches will be added later too.

There are too many unknowns with this, I have no confidence that my son's team will win.

But we are the only ones that have been able to test launch, so you never know.

If it was a real rocket then things would be different.

Hmm, wonder if you could get your hands on a giant foam golf ball or some other way to put dimples. Wonder if you can get away with that "fin" being in the form of a wooden dowel that hangs out the back 2ft. Like a bottle rocket...

Well, anyway good luck!

[Water Rocket Expert]

You can only have one fin? That sounds more like a rudder to me. These rules are goofy.

[WRA2]

Tonight we have read the rules again, only to discover they are only allowed a fin on ONE SIDE!!

I just cant see how this would make any difference at all, so we have decided to have no fins and a heavy nose cone.

We have performed 5 test launches this evening, changing the weight on the first 4 and the 5th was to verify the test results.

We measured the distance the "rocket" tumbled through the air to determine the best nose cone weight

i will upload the rules later so you can all have a laugh at this "rocket challenge"

Videos of the test launches will be added later too.

There are too many unknowns with this, I have no confidence that my son's team will win.

But we are the only ones that have been able to test launch, so you never know.

If it was a real rocket then things would be different.

Sounds like the rules are designed to limit all rockets performance. Is the launch site too small and they are confining the rockets to within a specified area by making rules to limit performance.