Water Rocket Forum

I have been thinking about building a multi stage rocket in the future.
I'm pretty much new to the hobby (launched 2 liter bottles for decades, but without recovery devices, boosters, or stages).

Anyway, I've been thinking about a lightweight non return valve for upper stages.

Please pardon my ignorance if this has already been tried and done, or if I'm misunderstanding how the stages are fueled and work.

I was thinking... Simple plastic tube with o-ring and platform to secure upper stages and using the radial deployment clamps. On the end of the plastic tube, instead of using a non return valve, cut a groove around the end... then attach the neck of a balloon animal balloon (a 260Q balloon) to the grooved end. Cut the end of the balloon off.

Fill the rocket with water at an angle so each stage gets water.

Where you tilt the rocket back up, the balloons should close, trapping the water at each stage.

When you pressurize, air should equally disperse to the upper stages as well, then when equal pressure is reached, the balloons again collapse, trapping the air and water in each stage.

I'll try and upload a drawing later

That sounds like a variation of the "crushing sleeve" multi-staging mechanism. You can search the web (or this forum) for information about it. What you describe specifically using balloons hasn't been done to my knowledge. I don't fully understand your idea. Please upload a drawing when you get a chance.

anachronist wrote: ↑Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:47 pm That sounds like a variation of the "crushing sleeve" multi-staging mechanism. You can search the web (or this forum) for information about it. What you describe specifically using balloons hasn't been done to my knowledge. I don't fully understand your idea. Please upload a drawing when you get a chance.

I'm suspecting that the crushing sleeve is probably the same concept thanks for the info, I'll search for it later. A lot of the ideas I've had so far either wouldn't work, or have been done far better already