Greetings from Finland!

[FinRocketry]

Firstly, I'd like to say hello to everyone on these forums.

I'm a 16-year-old from Finland. I've built basic bottle rockets with my brothers back in 2010, but only recently got back into the hobby in May of this year.

I decided to get back to this hobby, because I bought a 3d printer a bit over one year ago. I've learned to do CAD, and to print with all the filaments. (PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, Glass fiber nylon and Carbon fiber nylon). Therefore I decided that it would be a good time to get back to this, having acquired 11 more years and a lot of experience.

The first rocket that I built this year was in early May. The rocket consisted of one 1.5l soda bottle, with a 3D printed Gardena nozzle made by USwaterRockets. I watched some tutorials on how to splice bottles. After that, it's just been trial and error. A flight computer has also been built, which includes a barometer, accelerometer/gyroscope and thermometer. The parachute deployment mechanism that I will be using is the radial one.


Here are a couple of clips from recently. The first one is just a crappily built test rocket, which was intended to test the deployment mechanism. It served its purpose in proving that the system works. The second video was of another test rocket, which was properly made. It did not have the flight computer or camera on it unfortunately.

[FinRocketry]

Almost eight months later, I've found the hobby of building RC planes. Water rockets became a bit boring when winter came, and I reached the point where any further development would have required advanced metal parts, glass fiber and carbon fiber. I also got fed up with me putting a lot of effort into building a rocket, having it work four or five times, and it then failing and ending up in pieces in the dirt.

[DanInvents]

Hi!

It is a pity that you have decided to stop flying rockets I think that your videos are very cool

I am also based in Finland at the moment and I cannot find straight bottles to build rockets. Which brand of soda drink did you use to build your rockets?

Regards,

Daniel

[FinRocketry]

Hi!

It is a pity that you have decided to stop flying rockets I think that your videos are very cool

I am also based in Finland at the moment and I cannot find straight bottles to build rockets. Which brand of soda drink did you use to build your rockets?

Regards,

Daniel

Hello!

Thanks! I've taken a break from water rocketry, as I felt that I had reached all of my goals in the hobby, if I didn't want it to become significantly more expensive, complicated, and dangerous. I had a Working flight computer, reliable parachute deployment system, reliable rockets, and a reliable launching mechanism. I've since moved to building and flying advanced long-range UAV aircraft with autopilots, antenna trackers, composite materials and everything else. I will likely make a return to water rocketry, with the knowledge of how to laminate composites and my previous experience with water rocketry.

For the smaller rockets, I used the small 0,5l dr.pepper bottles. For the larger ones, the best bottles I found were the 1,5l Bonaqua sparkling water bottles. The 1,5l bottles aren't completely straight, however.
https://ruoanhinta.fi/tuotteet/6415600546249
https://ruoanhinta.fi/tuotteet/6415600507875

In the beginning, I also used cheap S-market 1,5l cola and orange soda bottles, as they are easy to glue together.
https://ruoanhinta.fi/tuotteet/rainbow- ... 5712508050

Sorry for taking so long to reply. I haven't checked these forums in a while, as it is pretty much dead.

[DanInvents]

Hi!

Thank you for sharing the information about the bottles.

Enjoy building UAVs! When you decide to fly water rockets again I would be interested to share ideas.

Regards,

Daniel