What are some tips to building a bottle rocket?

Question

http://www.lnhs.org/hayhurst/rockets/
in building a bottle rocket like this ^
what are some tips in building it so it goes far up and takes a long time to get down

Answer 1

we had a water rocket competition at the university when i was in college. i was wondering why some rockets have weird designs. small bottles are still connected at the sides of the main plastic bottle. it really looks uncool for the rocket, but turns out those bottles help the rocket fly straight upward. all of the rockets with that design flew nicely. Other rockets with designs like that in your link would eventually curve their path while flying upward. you would really have to depend on luck if you want that rocket to fly straight upward. my theory is the small plastic bottles help prevent the whole rocket to turn, it acts like a guide. unlike for that with the main bottle alone, the air drag would easily turn the rocket even for a small deviation at the rocket's tip. also, remember to balance the details in your design. that is, if your planning to add fins, don't just put two fins in your rocket. that face of the rocket without fins will imbalance the whole rocket and will make it turn because the air drag at the faces with fins are different from the drag at the faces without fins. Put four fins instead, equally spaced around the rocket. =)

Answer 2

Bottle Rocket Tips

Answer 3

bardia: Go to the NASA water rocket site at the link below for tips and a simulator to try out your ideas.

Answer 4

Get a bottle, of Course

Answer 5

check with your local firestation and see what local guidances there are. if you are near an airport/military base, they may not like it too much.







also, have a fire extinguisher handy.