Widemouth Launcher

[bugwubber]

The metal tube is 30mm OD with 1mm wall by the way.

[Water Rocket Expert]

Wow so the bottle has a big nozzle. That might be useful in a fully spliced rocket with no couplings or a very heavy rocket like George Katz big rocket.

[WRA2]

....very heavy rocket like George Katz big rocket.

Rockets like those should not be built or flown without a "high power" certification and should always be flown only at "launch meets" that have the necessary permits and permissions to launch "high power" rockets.

[bugwubber]

Wow so the bottle has a big nozzle. That might be useful in a fully spliced rocket with no couplings or a very heavy rocket like George Katz big rocket.

streamlined and narrow as possible since liftoff speed would be much higher.

[Water Rocket Expert]

But at the same time, if your not going for altitude then it works for them, It seems to me like they'll never be satisfied until they launch a car!

[bugwubber]

Finally, a test launch!

First, he final form of the launcher. I switched to steel pipe, and made it a drop in, plug-and-play add on to my existing launcher.
I also added a water feed side with a 200psi backflow preventer.

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The release is based on USWR's split collar locking pliers release. I made it with a lightweight locking clamp that is glued to the locking collar. The release collar is only cut through completely on one side so it won't fall off the launcher when it slips off the rocket.

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First test was to 60 psi. No leaks detected.

[U.S. Water Rockets1]

Hey Bugwubber!

Nice work on the Split Collar Launcher! If you're flown many launches with it, you will see how much easier it is to operate than sliding collar launchers. That design should be good enough to work with several hundred PSI should you decide to get into higher pressures. If you go farther than that, you should check the specs on the pliers to make sure you don't exceed the clamp rating.

[Water Rocket Expert]

Ye USWR, your clamp idea has been great. I have been using it for several months now and it works fine with the max of 285 psi I have tried. The real thing that works best, is holding the wire ties down with a hose clamp. The strength of those clamps are amazing and that relieves the clamp from doing all the work. The only problem is that I could find a clamp like yours so mine wasn't wide enough and I couldn't use the rubber. Also the plastic PVC doesn't like to adhere to well. I have found that wire ties make the bond much stronger!

Thanks for your hard work and research. It pays off!

[bugwubber]

Hey Bugwubber!

Nice work on the Split Collar Launcher! If you're flown many launches with it, you will see how much easier it is to operate than sliding collar launchers. That design should be good enough to work with several hundred PSI should you decide to get into higher pressures. If you go farther than that, you should check the specs on the pliers to make sure you don't exceed the clamp rating.

Thanks and thank you for the idea btw. The funny thing is, I've never made or used a sliding collar. So I only have the latch bar style release

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(Which is going to be very hard to beat for ease of use, but is limited in psi)

and of course the notched release bar of the derby launcher.

As far as high end I don't have any plans to exceed 150 for the forseeable future. If I did hp, I wouldn't bother testing the clamp- I'd switch to metal.

[Water Rocket Expert]

The one I use is a metal type Vice-Grip original brand grip with a 1 inch coupling cut in half and then in half the other way and then glued each side with PL premium to the wrench. No room for the rubber though although I have recently purchased a different style harbor freight tools one so that may have room for the rubber.

[bugwubber]

The one I use is a metal type Vice-Grip original brand grip with a 1 inch coupling cut in half and then in half the other way and then glued each side with PL premium to the wrench. No room for the rubber though although I have recently purchased a different style harbor freight tools one so that may have room for the rubber.

Not entirely clear on your references to "the rubber". What component are you talking about?

[Water Rocket Expert]

By "the rubber" I mean the rubber used in the USWR tutorial between the PVC and the clamp on both sides.

[bugwubber]

By "the rubber" I mean the rubber used in the USWR tutorial between the PVC and the clamp on both sides.

Ok I was just calling those spacer blocks.

[Water Rocket Expert]

Sorry for the confusion. I only looked at there video once and it looked to me like they had chopped up erasers and used them!

What do you use?

[bugwubber]

I don't need them. The clamp I'm using gives the same effect but I don't use fins that hang down below the nozzle.