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Launch Pad Construction Introduction
Water rocketry is a great hobby. Water rocketry can take you beyond a
hobby and into science. There are aerodynamics to learn, materials
science to investigate, mass and momemtum to study and much more
science involved. I got started in this because I was teaching a high
school class. The students had fun and learned applications of
science and math. Ask any one of my students and they'll tell you,
"Water rockets are great fun!"
This launch pad is revision 8 designed by Mike Passerotti. It is not the current design for sale on the WaterRocketPop.com website. The design
goals are as follows:
1. Easy to set up and take down.
2. Easy to use.
3. Durable.
4. Less expensive than the competition and affordable for scouts,
schools and individuals.
5. Made from off the shelf parts.
6. Upgradable to add options such as pressure gauge and water inlet.
7. Accept any soda bottle neck.
8. Repeatable launches for competitions.
9. Use a launch tube of any length including no launch tube.
10. Allow experimentation with nozzle diameter.
I put together these web pages to share my design for free. I sell
the launch pads ready to use because many people don't have the
skills required to construct this or any launch pad. For those of you
who do have the skills, tools and time, I hope these instructions
inspire you to try this launch pad. There are many other designs
available on the web. Each design has short comings. I believe my
design will suit the needs of a majority of rocket scientists.
Water rocketry is safer than using solid combustable fuel type
rockets. Water rockets don't require fire permits. Most water rockets
will not fly above 400 ft which means no FAA permit is required.
These water rockets can be backyard science. However, you must use
caution and be safe because the rockets will accellerate over 100 G's
and can travel 150 miles per hour. Don't forget that what goes up
must come down. A clear landing area is essential. Make sure you
visit the safety page before flying any rockets.
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