snowycole Posted November 15, 2010 Posted November 15, 2010 Hey guys, I was wondering how you would go about constructing a spiraling rocket. I have some 1/4"(bottle rocket) engines and some bamboo skewers. Any tips?
dagabu Posted November 15, 2010 Posted November 15, 2010 LOL! I spent a LOT of time making my rockets NOT spiral but if it is an effect you WANT then I suggest not gluing them on straight but rather about 7° off axis. This will cause them to twirl. If you want a more pronounced effect, use two rocket motors on a single stick and cant them 7° each pointing away from each other. You will need a stiff and straight stick about 2' long and you will need to tie them to the stick as well as the spinning will try to tear them off the stick.
NightHawkInLight Posted November 16, 2010 Posted November 16, 2010 I think he may be looking for a stinger effect. I don't know of any way to modify that small of a rocket into a stinger.
dagabu Posted November 16, 2010 Posted November 16, 2010 The smallest I have made successfully is a 1/2", sorry.
snowycole Posted November 16, 2010 Author Posted November 16, 2010 Well, actually, I was looking for more of a caudecaus (spellcheck) effect. Y'know, the one with the 2 rocket motors on a single stick. Thanks Dagabu, I'll try that.
fredhappy Posted November 16, 2010 Posted November 16, 2010 I've made a caduceus frame. It worked fine with 1 lb rockets. First time only one engine lit, second time I was able to retrieve the frame. Hope this gives you and idea. I used good quality hotglue, and the frame is quite sturdy.
dagabu Posted November 16, 2010 Posted November 16, 2010 Well, actually, I was looking for more of a caudecaus (spellcheck) effect. Y'know, the one with the 2 rocket motors on a single stick. Thanks Dagabu, I'll try that. Well, why didn't you say so! LOL! Good luck with them, they are fun but maddening when they dont light or tear each other apart, that is why I have grown to make them the way I do with lashing them both to the same stick, essentially crossing the motors and never exceeding 7° (14° total). True, the caduceus (think the medical symbol) are WAY cooler but are a bit hard to master. Take video even if if doesn't work, you will be helping us all in your quest.
snowycole Posted November 17, 2010 Author Posted November 17, 2010 Looks good Fred! K so I made one, gonna try it out today, thanks guys
Arthur Posted November 17, 2010 Posted November 17, 2010 includes a caudecous rocket Sadly I can't remember who made it.
billofca Posted November 18, 2010 Posted November 18, 2010 Back about 500 years ago, rockets were (reportedly) attached to arrows and fired at the enemy in great numbers. Have any of you guys tried using an arrow for a stick, or gluing some feathers or cardboard fins to the bottom of your sticks? Would that help stabilize for a straighter flight, or would it do just the opposite. Sounds like it would be a neat experiment. Bill
Algenco Posted November 18, 2010 Posted November 18, 2010 Back about 500 years ago, rockets were (reportedly) attached to arrows and fired at the enemy in great numbers. Have any of you guys tried using an arrow for a stick, or gluing some feathers or cardboard fins to the bottom of your sticks? Would that help stabilize for a straighter flight, or would it do just the opposite. Sounds like it would be a neat experiment. Bill no , but I'm going to cut a bunch of "Arrowwood" to use
dagabu Posted November 18, 2010 Posted November 18, 2010 Back about 500 years ago, rockets were (reportedly) attached to arrows and fired at the enemy in great numbers. Have any of you guys tried using an arrow for a stick, or gluing some feathers or cardboard fins to the bottom of your sticks? Would that help stabilize for a straighter flight, or would it do just the opposite. Sounds like it would be a neat experiment. Bill Yes, that is correct, in fact, Myth Busters did a segment on just that subject a few years ago, see it . Actually, I find that a 1/4" x 1/4" x 4' stick cut from pine 2x4 work just great with no wobble at all. Here is one of mine from this spring. VIDEO
snowycole Posted November 18, 2010 Author Posted November 18, 2010 This guy has some great vids on rockets. In a few of them he uses arrows as balancing sticks. http://www.youtube.com/user/AirrowRocket#p/a/u/0/T17HnAlwRzE
Seymour Posted November 21, 2010 Posted November 21, 2010 I attached a rocket to an arrow once. Things to consider... - That rocket might cato and you have one hand holding the end of the stick, and the other hand holding the bow, very close the the motor. - If you don't let go in time the flames will meet up with your hands. I guess gloves could help here. -If it catos, the nossle, or pieces of nossle are likely to meet up with your face. Essentially, it's not so safe. If done, I'd suggest using VERY RELIABLY rockets as well as decent safety gear... padded clothing and a full face shield. I personally fired the arrow early, and it was heading towards the ground when it lit. I decided it was a bad idea and moved on to safer things!
WonderBoy Posted November 22, 2010 Posted November 22, 2010 (edited) The attached is an excerpt from Weingart, not exactly an arrow, but it seems to be a similar concept. Edited November 22, 2010 by WonderBoy
billofca Posted November 22, 2010 Posted November 22, 2010 I attached a rocket to an arrow once. Things to consider... - That rocket might cato and you have one hand holding the end of the stick, and the other hand holding the bow, very close the the motor. - If you don't let go in time the flames will meet up with your hands. I guess gloves could help here. -If it catos, the nossle, or pieces of nossle are likely to meet up with your face. Essentially, it's not so safe. If done, I'd suggest using VERY RELIABLY rockets as well as decent safety gear... padded clothing and a full face shield. I personally fired the arrow early, and it was heading towards the ground when it lit. I decided it was a bad idea and moved on to safer things! Seymour, My original question about arrows with rocket motors was never intended to suggest you shoot one with a bow! EEEGADS! That would be dangerous or at least severely risky. I'm not fool hardy to ever think of trying that, especially with a 3 lb. motor! I was simply asking about using arrows with feathers as a guide stick to be fired out of a launch rack or pipe tube. What I wanted to know is if that would make the rocket fly straighter than balancing with a second stick opposite of the first stick attached to the motor. It would save a little weight if and arrow would do the same thing with guide feathers on the far end of the stick.
Algenco Posted November 22, 2010 Posted November 22, 2010 Seymour, My original question about arrows with rocket motors was never intended to suggest you shoot one with a bow! EEEGADS! That would be dangerous or at least severely risky. I'm not fool hardy to ever think of trying that, especially with a 3 lb. motor! I was simply asking about using arrows with feathers as a guide stick to be fired out of a launch rack or pipe tube. What I wanted to know is if that would make the rocket fly straighter than balancing with a second stick opposite of the first stick attached to the motor. It would save a little weight if and arrow would do the same thing with guide feathers on the far end of the stick. Bill, that would work, but is the cost worthwhile? possible that the exhaust would burn the fletching offArrows aren't cheap
billofca Posted November 23, 2010 Posted November 23, 2010 Bill, that would work, but is the cost worthwhile? possible that the exhaust would burn the fletching offArrows aren't cheap That's true. It might be worthwhile just to see one perform. I'm using a square cut sticks that I could glue something on the end of the stick that looks like 4 feathers, like small fins made of stiff cardboard. Water glass is a cheap material the consistency of corn syrup that when coated on the cardboard soaks in and makes it fire resistant. Probably too much trouble, but I was curious about the affect on the rocket flight. It might be interesting to try some day as an experiment. I watched the video Dagabu suggested where Myth Busters shot a hundred or so arrows with rocket motors, and they looked like they were flying straight. They were fired at a 45 degree angle. I wonder how they would perform fired vertically?
dagabu Posted November 23, 2010 Posted November 23, 2010 Bill, they would fly just fine... Unless the feathers or whatever were not glued on straight... Or if the fletching were to oscillate causing the air to correct the flight time and again. I say go for it and post the video.
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