A preview of my new launcher*video update*

[bugwubber]

I test fired (air only) it in the house. I don't think I'll do that again. :-)
It was fascinating to hear all the bottles lock against the gate when the pressure got above 30 psi.

Still need to add a spring or two to keep the gate closed.

~Bugwubber

launcher.JPG (1.92 MiB) Viewed 121 times

[SaskAlex]

Looks cool. Is that for linear clusters, or just for "racing" multiple rockets side by side? Always thought that could be cool, but never got around to it. It would be a fun way to do a comparison between similar rockets with certain differences, like shape. Any particular plans for it?

[bugwubber]

Looks cool. Is that for linear clusters, or just for "racing" multiple rockets side by side? Always thought that could be cool, but never got around to it. It would be a fun way to do a comparison between similar rockets with certain differences, like shape. Any particular plans for it?

Racing- this is for an annual rocket derby, and also to display the effects of changes such as more or less water, different volume containers etc. The station one launch tube is always hot and can be changed out with different sized launch tubes. Station 1 can also be capped and then the other stations can fire off one at a time if needed. If we don't need all 5, then there are cutoff valves on 2-5.

When we did the WRD last summer, there was a long line as the bottles launched one at a time. We had a double ziptie launcher but we had to fill, pressurize, then approach the rockets and close a valve because the rockets would never launch together. Of course, once one launched, the pressure for the other would be lost. So then we ended up just launching one at a time.

I hope to be able to flip it on its side and launch multiple cars as well, maybe just using stations 1,3, and 5. I haven't done anything with cars yet so those are just thoughts at the moment.

Also, there are 5 in my family, so yeah planning a little friendly competition.

[Asupremeflight]

Looks real nice. That will be cool to see 5 rockets take off at once. I wonder how many of them will smash into each other mid flight? I wouldthink itwouldbe enevitable given the unpredictability of each flight path.
Great job on the launcher.

[U.S. Water Rockets]

That's very clever the way you have the hinge on the gate. Do you suppose that the gate may twist from friction on the bottles and cause the rockets on the end you pull to launch first? Or do you have a way to center pull the gate?

[bugwubber]

Looks real nice. That will be cool to see 5 rockets take off at once. I wonder how many of them will smash into each other mid flight? I wouldthink itwouldbe enevitable given the unpredictability of each flight path.
Great job on the launcher.

Yeah I think I had them a little bit further spread out in my head. Just gonna have to test and see! :-D. Thanks!

[bugwubber]

That's very clever the way you have the hinge on the gate. Do you suppose that the gate may twist from friction on the bottles and cause the rockets on the end you pull to launch first? Or do you have a way to center pull the gate?

Thanks! It helps that it's fairly high strength steel, does not play nice with my drill bits. My plan is two connection points on the backside of stations 2 and 4, that feed to pulleys and a locking carabiner. Then a single cord running back to the launch station. I'll have 4 anchor points in the ground to hold the launcher in place. If I have to add a block and tackle so that it is easy enough for the kids to pull I'm prepared to do that as well. I will try grease first if it is needed.

[SaskAlex]

I wonder how many of them will smash into each other mid flight? I wouldthink itwouldbe enevitable given the unpredictability of each flight path.

I suspect that there will be a slight high pressure region between adjacent rockets. If they naturally fly perfectly straight, I think they might actually veer apart just a little bit when flown together. We'll just have to stay tuned in to see what exactly does happen.

[Asupremeflight]

That is a very good point Alex. I can imagine a cone of pressure around each rocket kind of like a force field surrounding each rocket. It could take like a fin failing to veer one so far off course that they collide. Even then the others would be so much faster that they would be out of range by then.

Forgive me for being the guy who goes to the races to see the crashes. It would be cool though... For the spectators... Not the contestants.

Do the kids have certain guidelines to follow as far as what kind of rocket they can make?n(Like the pinewood derby) or is it freestyle.

You wouldn't want Batkiter's kid to show up. LOL,

[bugwubber]

That is a very good point Alex. I can imagine a cone of pressure around each rocket kind of like a force field surrounding each rocket. It could take like a fin failing to veer one so far off course that they collide. Even then the others would be so much faster that they would be out of range by then.

Forgive me for being the guy who goes to the races to see the crashes. It would be cool though... For the spectators... Not the contestants.

Do the kids have certain guidelines to follow as far as what kind of rocket they can make?n(Like the pinewood derby) or is it freestyle.

You wouldn't want Batkiter's kid to show up. LOL,

LOL, yeah the kids would love it though! We don't exactly have the space for high altitude attempts where we launch. (Although that may change since I'm planning on inviting them to compete in the new unreinforced class competition) Usually the rockets are built at the event. We can easily control what the kids build just by what supplies are provided.

I think it is going to be fascinating to try different fin configurations side by side to demonstrate the effect of too much/too little fin

[bugwubber]

First test fire- success!
[youtube][/youtube]

[Asupremeflight]

Congratulations. Psi?
that had to be fun going collecting those 5 bottles.
looks to me like a very solid unit.

[Asupremeflight]

your next bit of business.
strap a rocket to that snowboard! Lol!

[bugwubber]

Congratulations. Psi?
that had to be fun going collecting those 5 bottles.
looks to me like a very solid unit.

Thanks!, PSI was around 50.

You hear me laughing in the video because I looked up and there were bottles everywhere! I have recovered 3, the 4th I can see stuck in the snow on my roof. I think the 5th is up there as well, but perhaps in a spot I can't see from the ground.

The PVC footings just slide onto the ends of the launch rail so that it can break down for transport/storage. It's a nice tight fit but I'll probably add keeper pins as an added saftey measure.

[bugwubber]

your next bit of business.
strap a rocket to that snowboard! Lol!

Gotta keep my hands off of that one.:-)

We have a big 200ft sled run in the yard and that one gets used daily. There is however, a cross country ski down in my basement that already has a piece of plywood cut and drilled to engage its binding...