Backyard Rockets: Learn to Make and Launch Rockets, Missiles, Cannons, and Other Projectiles

Section 1

Small Rockets

Liquid Fuel Rocket

By: Tool Using Animal

(http://www.instructables.com/ id/Office-Supplies-Challenge-Liquid-Fuel-Rocket/)

This Instructable demonstrates how to make a Liquid Fuel Rocket from office supplies. Warning, this is kind of dangerous—I had one blow up in my hand already. It was more startling than anything; the two halves flew off in different directions (wear leather gloves just to be safe). They’ll fly about 75 feet straight up.

Step 1: You Will Need

•   A sharpie

•   Canned air

•   Electrical tape (substitute packing tape)

•   Ballpoint pen

•   Rubber band

•   Bottle cap

•   Leatherman or other pocket knife

•   Robot sticker (optional)

Step 2: The Rocket Body

Disassemble the sharpie and remove the ink and the point. Cut a piece of ink tube ¾ inch long from a ballpoint pen and wrap one half with a small piece of electrical tape. Insert the tube into the sharpie where the point used to be and tap it until firmly seated. Reassemble the two halves of the sharpie.

Step 3: Guidance

The fins are made by folding tape over on itself and attaching the tag ends to the rocket body. Trim into a rocketish profile. Attach three equally spaced around the body.

Step 4: Propulsion

Take the canned air, bend the straw down next to the body, space it out with the bottle cap, and secure with a rubber band.

Step 5: Launch

Outside, invert the can of canned air and slip the rocket body onto the straw. Hold the rocket body and depress the trigger on the can, allow a short time to pass, and release the rocket. Wash, rinse, repeat.

A Rocket in Your Pocket

By: Kiteman

(http://www.instructables.com/ id/A-Rocket-in-your-Pocket/)

Not just a rocket in your pocket, but an entire rocket factory and launch system!

Step 1: Materials

The materials are easy to find in most modern homes:

•   A pocket-sized box

•   A box of matches

•   A small scrap of wood

•   Some pieces of kitchen foil

•   Optional extra: a pocket lighter.

Step 2: Making the Launch Pad

Take the scrap of wood and trim it to fit inside the box. Halfway along it, drill a small hole at an angle of 45°—the hole needs to be just large enough to fit a matchstick into.

Step 3: Outfitting the Kit

Er, well, you just put it all in the box. . . . If you put the pieces of foil at the bottom, they’ll stay flatter.

Step 4: Making and Launching a Rocket

Take one piece of foil and lay two matches head-to-head at one end. Roll the matches up in the foil. Make sure that one match can slide out of the foil tube you’ve made, though not too easily. Twist the foil tightly around the other match. Slot the rocket into the launcher and apply heat to the middle of the foil, either with another match or with the lighter. After a few moments, the heat conducted by the foil will light the match-heads, and . . . woosh! . . . off it will go.

I could make a lot of fuss about health and safety, but if you’re old enough to be allowed to play with matches, you’re old enough to know where and when you should launch rockets like this. If you set fire to the cat and burn down the garden, it’s your own fault.

Teeny, Tiny

Rocket Engine

By: Adam Kelly (killerjackalope)

(http://www.instructables.com/ id/Teeny-tiny-rocket-engine/)

Adam you never cease to make me feel like my brain is about to fall out my ears lol you’re never just like reading a book

That is a text I received after telling Sammi what I did today. This is what I did today.

I am unsure why I did this or what purpose, if any, it could serve. It does propel itself in a direction, though it more or less explodes forward. It went straight across, hit the counter, leaving a small mark, and then went back in to the depths of the kitchen. It may have surprised my housemate a little— probably should have told him why he was lighting my match . . .

First issue, propellant? I reckon Swan matches; they’re pretty bad because they light slower than most. Seems like it’s about the right mix of burn-y but not explode-y . . .

Wait, what will I use as the body? More to the point, where did this idea even come from if the propellant was the first question? This is some kind of bizarre causation loop in my head.

Anyway, I realized an earring back might work, as the end of the casing is about the size I’d expect for the nozzle. (I did no science here, I just decided this.) I didn’t figure out the capping of the other end until later.

Anyway . . .

Oh, stop. This is dangerous. Grinding up matches is a logically foolish activity that may lead to burns. Break up small amounts at a time to keep it from surprising you and burning your hand. Lighting this thing might go badly. Cover your eyes and remember that constructing it may be a danger—take care.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools

•   Pliers

•   A knife

•   A card

•   A hard surface

Materials

•   Matches (keep the box handy too)

•   An earring back (clutch back that is; see photos)

Step 2: Prepare the Casing

Remove the end cap of the earring back. Remove the inner plastic clutch (this still works as a back). To remove it, get a drawing pin or nail and push it into the inner hole, then pull it out. The object just needs to be thicker than the earring pins that went through it before.

Step 3: Prepare the Match-Head Propellant

This is relatively simple, but inherently dangerous with strike-anywhere matches. No metal on metal or stone on stone. I used an upended ashtray (glass) and chopped the stuff up as well as I could with a knife. Next, I used my old tech card to finely chop it repeatedly. This worked nicely. The technique is the same as you might use with certain illicit substances, but slightly rougher. It doesn’t need to be powdered, just fairly fine, like granulated sugar.

Step 4: Loading the Powder

Poke a hole in the match box and press the empty casing in to it— it’ll hold it until it’s nearly finished. I used a scalpel as a teeny little spade. Carefully fill the casing; start with a few lumps to stop the finer stuff falling out the bottom. As you go, use the end of match (not the head) to stamp it down. By the end, you want it to be thoroughly packed in, essentially solid. Leave at least a millimeter between the end and the powder.

Step 5: Cut Capping Piece

This doesn’t entirely cap the thing; it’s just there to help with sealing the end. Cut a small rough circle that drops in on top of the propellant; it should pretty much fill the end over.

Step 6: Seal the End

To seal the end, fold the rim over inwards with pliers. Now carefully squeeze the lip flat. Bend it over a little and squeeze again. Repeat this a few times. You’ll need to squeeze hard to seal it up. By the end, it should look like a single piece of metal. I wouldn’t do this in a vice unless it’s small and fairly easy to be accurate with.

Step 7: Launch It

I bent a beer can’s pull ring in to a stand for firing the rocket . . . then lit it . . .

Ten-Minute Rocket

By: (zack)

(http://www.instructables.com/ id/10-Minute-Rocket/)

This Instructable will teach you how to build a simple, ultra-light rocket from household items (and of course a rocket engine). Here’s the supply list:

•   1 tube of superglue

•   1 roll of tinfoil

•   1 straw big enough to fit around your launch rod

•   1 deck of playing cards that you don’t mind parting with

•   1 C rocket engine

•   Several rocket engine detonators and plugs

•   1 electronic detonator (and necessary cables)

WARNING: This is totally dangerous. I didn’t die, but you might. It is not my fault if you hurt yourself following these instructions.

Step 1: Building Yourself Some Fins

The fins themselves are pretty simple: the difficult part is positioning them evenly around the rocket. To make a fin, first you’ll need to fold a playing card in half hamburger style. Take your superglue and seal the folded halves together, like a sandwich. Glue is going to ooze out the sides and get all over your fingers Suck it up and take it like a man. Make two of these sandwiches and let the glue completely dry. Now you need to do a little bit of measuring, but nothing too complicated. Take one of the folded cards and put it perpendicular to the other, forming an L. Mark off the edge and cut it away so you’re left with one square-ish shape. Repeat with the other folded card and, if you’ve done everything correctly thus far, you should be left with two pseudo-squares. Take these faux-squares and cut diagonally across from the curved corner to the corner directly opposite. You should now have four fin shapes, congratulations. Now onto the difficult part: attaching them.

Step 2: Attaching the Fins

Basically, you want the fins to be completely perpendicular to each other. I realize that this is darn near impossible; but if you somehow screw up the positioning horribly, the rocket could possibly come back and hit you in the face. Take your time. I’ve attached a template PDF to the end of this Instructable; I would recommend printing it out and using it as a guide when you’re gluing. Superglue is really really good at bonding cardboard, so you’re only going to get one shot at this. Line up your engine, apply a small amount of glue to the edge of the fin, and take the dive. The first fin is the easiest, but every other fin has to be positioned as accurately as possible to prevent the rocket from spinning out. Again, just take your time and it should be fine. Once you have all the fins loosely attached, apply a liberal amount of glue to the seams. You do not want one of these falling off mid flight. Put the