Water rocket parachute
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Water rocket parachute
Hello everyone,
I am a rookie in this field and just want to make my first steps. I have looked through a number of rocket designs and they all have one thing in common. They do not incorporate a landing parachute. Yes, that is because the designs are simple, but nevertheless.
Currently I don't want to invest more money in electronics, is there a mechanical(?) way to make one section the rocket release a parachute when descending.
Kind regards,
Alex
I am a rookie in this field and just want to make my first steps. I have looked through a number of rocket designs and they all have one thing in common. They do not incorporate a landing parachute. Yes, that is because the designs are simple, but nevertheless.
Currently I don't want to invest more money in electronics, is there a mechanical(?) way to make one section the rocket release a parachute when descending.
Kind regards,
Alex
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Re: Water rocket parachute
Search for the term "tomy timer" and you will find what you need. Basically it is the mechanism from a wind up toy used to trigger the release of a parachute.strinda wrote:Hello everyone,
I am a rookie in this field and just want to make my first steps. I have looked through a number of rocket designs and they all have one thing in common. They do not incorporate a landing parachute. Yes, that is because the designs are simple, but nevertheless.
Currently I don't want to invest more money in electronics, is there a mechanical(?) way to make one section the rocket release a parachute when descending.
Kind regards,
Alex
Lisa Walker,
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The Water Rocket Achievement World Record Association
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The Water Rocket Achievement World Record Association
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Re: Water rocket parachute
Why are you avoiding spending money on electronics? Do you think that this is a huge expense compared to a mechanical system? We make electronics designs that are really inexpensive and ultra reliable. This is important because a mechanical system may only cost half as much, but if it crashes 10 times as often, it is less practical in the long run because of all the money you spend on repairs.
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Re: Water rocket parachute
I am going to have to agree here. I used tomy timers and had a crash about 6 out of 10 times. Usually the crash destroyed either the timer or the rocket, or put a big dent into the carU.S. Water Rockets1 wrote:Why are you avoiding spending money on electronics? Do you think that this is a huge expense compared to a mechanical system? We make electronics designs that are really inexpensive and ultra reliable. This is important because a mechanical system may only cost half as much, but if it crashes 10 times as often, it is less practical in the long run because of all the money you spend on repairs.
Definitely go for the electronics. They will provide much better success, as long as you don't monkey around with them.
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Re: Water rocket parachute
Thanks for backing up this point. We've heard from a lot of people who use our new Radial Deploy design combined with our electronics (ServoChron or LaunchPad AlTImeter) that they have less crashes and when they do it is usually something else that failed, like a ripped parachute or chute snagging on a fin.DogLover wrote:I am going to have to agree here. I used tomy timers and had a crash about 6 out of 10 times. Usually the crash destroyed either the timer or the rocket, or put a big dent into the carU.S. Water Rockets1 wrote:Why are you avoiding spending money on electronics? Do you think that this is a huge expense compared to a mechanical system? We make electronics designs that are really inexpensive and ultra reliable. This is important because a mechanical system may only cost half as much, but if it crashes 10 times as often, it is less practical in the long run because of all the money you spend on repairs.
Definitely go for the electronics. They will provide much better success, as long as you don't monkey around with them.
But the main thing we have learned is that the electronics are rugged enough to survive a crash, and can be located away from the nose to reduce the change of crush damage, which means a crash is not fatal to the deploy system. Plus, the radial deploy system uses a bottle for the main structure, and so it can be repaired in the field by hand. There's no complex fabricated "compartment" or "bay" to get wrecked. All around the system is more durable and more reliable than anything we have tried in the past.
Radial Deploy: http://www.uswaterrockets.com/construct ... torial.htm
LaunchPad AlTImeter: http://www.uswaterrockets.com/documents ... manual.htm
ServoChron: http://www.uswaterrockets.com/documents ... manual.htm
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Re: Water rocket parachute
Like, Like, Like!!!!!!!U.S. Water Rockets wrote:Thanks for backing up this point. We've heard from a lot of people who use our new Radial Deploy design combined with our electronics (ServoChron or LaunchPad AlTImeter) that they have less crashes and when they do it is usually something else that failed, like a ripped parachute or chute snagging on a fin.
But the main thing we have learned is that the electronics are rugged enough to survive a crash, and can be located away from the nose to reduce the change of crush damage, which means a crash is not fatal to the deploy system. Plus, the radial deploy system uses a bottle for the main structure, and so it can be repaired in the field by hand. There's no complex fabricated "compartment" or "bay" to get wrecked. All around the system is more durable and more reliable than anything we have tried in the past.
Radial Deploy: http://www.uswaterrockets.com/construct ... torial.htm
LaunchPad AlTImeter: http://www.uswaterrockets.com/documents ... manual.htm
ServoChron: http://www.uswaterrockets.com/documents ... manual.htm
-Blenderite
Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Blenderite
"Get it right, then go for GREATNESS!"
Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Blenderite
"Get it right, then go for GREATNESS!"
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Re: Water rocket parachute
You're too kind!DogLover wrote:Like, Like, Like!!!!!!!U.S. Water Rockets wrote: Radial Deploy: http://www.uswaterrockets.com/construct ... torial.htm
LaunchPad AlTImeter: http://www.uswaterrockets.com/documents ... manual.htm
ServoChron: http://www.uswaterrockets.com/documents ... manual.htm
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Re: Water rocket parachute
I built a mechanical timer release mechanism for USWR's radial deploy. It has worked very reliably. But, I see where I have very limited design flexibility.
Bugwubber
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Re: Water rocket parachute
Please share your design
-Blenderite
Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Blenderite
"Get it right, then go for GREATNESS!"
Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Blenderite
"Get it right, then go for GREATNESS!"
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Re: Water rocket parachute
Already posted here and on youtube. The rocket is named Lucy.DogLover wrote:Please share your design
This video shows the operation best:Water Rocket Clockworks Launch Detect:
Bugwubber
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Re: Water rocket parachute
Thanks for helping spread the word about the Radial Deploy! We've had quite a few people switching over to the design, and a few people have now adapted our Radial Deploy method to other forms of deploy trigger. Aircommando Walldorf (https://www.youtube.com/user/AircommandoWalldorf) has an interesting rocket project going on called "Tomahawk" that uses an external launch tube, and he found that our radial deploy design could work with his tomy timer mechanism and would fit in his launcher with the external tube.bugwubber wrote:Already posted here and on youtube. The rocket is named Lucy.DogLover wrote:Please share your design
This video shows the operation best:Water Rocket Clockworks Launch Detect:
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Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. --Thomas Edison
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Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. --Thomas Edison