How would you make a good bottle launcher?

Answer 1

# Remove the label from the outside of the bottle. Take a cloth and some paint thinner to remove the sticky portion of the label. This may take a while and a lot of rubbing. # Decide how many fins you would like. Four fins are easier than three, but if done correctly either way works well. The fin shape is also up to you. See the diagram for the easiest fin shape. Next, trace the fin design out on the balsa wood sheet and cut the desired number of fins out from the sheet. Make sure that the grain of the wood is running parallel to the leading or trailing edge of the fin. If this is not done, the fin may rip apart in mid flight. Lightly sand the fins so they become smooth. # Now, it is time to mount the fins onto the rocket. Take a piece of paper and wrap it around the lower portion of the bottle (near the opening end). Mark the circumference of the bottle where the piece of paper overlaps its self. Remove the paper and measure the distance to the mark that was just made. This will tell you the circumference of the bottle. If you are planning 4 fins, divide the circumference by 4. Use this number to divide the piece of paper into four equal sections and mark the sections. If you are planning for 3 fins, use the same process, but this time divide the piece of paper into 3 sections. Wrap the piece of paper around the bottle as before and secure it with a piece of tape. Take a felt marker and transfer the section marks on the paper to the bottle. These marks designate where the fins are to be placed. Make sure everything is perfectly even, or the rocket will not fly well. # Next, take a straight edge (ruler) and draw a line through the mark that was made so you will have a guide-line for fin mounting. Apply a rubber-based cement to the fins, carefully aligning the fins with the straight lines you have just drawn. Press the fins down onto the bottle and use a piece of tape on either side of the fins in order to keep them straight while the glue sets. It is best if only one fin is done at a time and the fin is kept vertical until the glue has set. Make sure all of the fins are perfectly straight. # The final step is to cut the manila folder into a cone so that it will fit over the top of the bottle rocket. This will be the nose cone. Cement the nose cone to the top of the rocket. If you wish, a parachute can be added. The rocket is now finished. Make sure all glues have dried completely and the fins a securely attached to the rocket before it is flown.