How to Build a Bottle Rocket

Do you dream of being a space pilot? Or are you interested in a more practical aeronautical adventure? If either of these describes you, follow these clear directions to build and launch your own bottle rocket.

Required Materials:

• 1 empty 2-Liter soda bottle a 1-inch hose clamp
• 1 bottle of rubber cement 2 2-inch long nails
• 1 2”x4”x12” piece of wood 1 6”x1/2”x18” piece of wood
• 1 can paint thinner 4 thin sheets balsa wood, 6”x4”
• 1 manilla folder 1 electrical knockout junction box
• 3” thin steel, 1/8” diameter 12” strong twine or string
• 1 roll masking tape electrical junction knockout box
• 5 wood screws, 1” long
• Test tube stopper, size #4, with a hole in the center
• Copper tubing, 12” in length, diameter small enough to fit into the rubber stopper

Required Tools:

• Hammer compass
• Drill scissors
• Air compressor sand paper
• Permanent marker angle
• Jigsaw
• Screwdriver (regular or Phillips, size will vary depending on your selection of wood screws.)

Instructions:

Make the rocket:

1. Rinse the soda bottle. Allow it to dry completely. Take off the label. Use paint thinner to remove every trace of remaining glue.
2. Using the angle, outline a 5”x3” right triangle on each piece of balsa wood. Cut the triangles out with a jigsaw. Sand the edges of the triangles until they are smooth. These are your rocket’s fins.
3. Mark the place on the bottle where each rocket fin will attach. The four fins should attach to the bottle at an equal distance from one another, with the 5” side of the triangle flush against the side of the soda bottle.
4. Attach each fin with rubber cement. Tape the fins in place with masking tape. The fins should be even and straight, so that the rocket appears symmetrical from all sides.
5. Using the compass, draw a circle 4” in diameter. Cut a straight line from the outer edge of the circle to the center. Fold the circle into a funnel with a small opening and glue the sides of the funnel together. Secure it with a small piece of tape.
6. Glue the funnel, point skyward, to the top of your soda bottle rocket. Tape it in place.
7. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly, overnight. Remove the tape after the glue has dried.

To Make the Launching Pad:

1. Cut the 12” piece of 2”x4” in half. Place each half on the work surface, about 17 inches apart, so that the pieces form two 6-inch-long parallel lines. Lay the 18-inch-long board so that either end is resting on the six-inch piece of 2”x4”.
2. Using a screwdriver, drive two wood screws through the surface of the 18”-long board until the screws are seated firmly in the 2”x4” board at one end. Repeat this for the other end. Now, you have a wooden platform, 4 inches tall and 18 inches wide.
3. Place the junction box in the center of the wooden platform. Drive a screw through the junction box until it is firmly attached to the platform. (Note: You may need to pre-drill a hole to insert the screw.)
4. Using the drill, select a bit nearly as big as the diameter of the test tube stopper. Drill the hole through the box and into the table. Insert the stopper firmly into the hole.
5. Insert the copper tubing through the stopper. Attach the tubing to the air compressor by means of the hose clamp.
6. Next, form the steel wire into a horseshoe shape. Tie the string to the steel at the center of the horseshoe. Insert the shaped steel into the holes located on one side of your electrical junction box.
7. Drill a hole near the bottom of each 2”x4” support base.
8. Place the launch pad outside, on the ground, well away from windows or power lines.
9. Hammer a nail through each of the holes at an angle so that the nails sink into the ground.

To Launch Your Rocket:

1. Pour 20 ounces of water into the soda bottle. Seat the bottle atop the launching pad. Secure the pin into the notches on the rocket’s bottle neck.
2. Dial the air compressor to 45 psi. This will create the pressure needed for a successful launch.
3. Use the string to release the pin and fire your rocket.

Tips:

• Be creative – decorate the bottle with acrylic paints or stickers.
• Experiment with different fin sizes. Determine what size results in the farthest, fastest flight.
• Be sure everyone around you knows what you are doing. Don’t make an unsuspecting bystander or animal a victim of your experiment!
• DO NOT launch the rocket near windows or power lines. Start in a wide open area until you know how far the rocket will fly.
• Dial the air compressor higher for longer, more impressive flights.