This Blog documents the various activities of the world record holding water rocket team known as U.S. Water Rockets.
Using media aggregation technologies, we will be including videos and photos taken by the team and spectators of their water rocket launches as well as tutorials and instructions for building and flying water rockets safely.
Additional information on where to find competitions and rules regarding our water rocket world records will also be discussed.
Hey, everyone! Today is International Star Wars Day! To celebrate, we have released the complete file set for our 3D Printed Star Wars R2 Unit! This nearly 1/4 Scale robot replica has been a long term project for us, as we perfected our 3D modeling skills and learned the techniques needed to be able to make highly detailed prints on a small 3D printer!
Since we're known more for our Water Rockets than our 3D modelling skills, regulars to this Blog will be pleased to discover that there is a definite Water Rocket related tie-in for this project. But we're not going to spoil the surprise. You will just have to watch the video we created to announce this project to find out what the secret is! Check out the video below, and let us know in the video comments what you think!
If you're interested in making your own print of our model, you can find the complete instructions for how to download the files from Thingiverse, print them, and assemble them, all on our build tutorial on our website. The following link will take you right to the instructions:
We recently discovered a way to easily adapt our Radial Parachute Recovery System so that it can be used to release a payload module carried along the side of the Water Rocket Airframe. Our first thought was to use this as a way to take a Paper Glider to a very high altitude, and then release it.
We improved further on this concept when we realized that a rubber band could be used to forcefully fire the Paper Glider away from the Water Rocket when it is released.
We took this concept and mocked it up and performed a number of ground tests on it to see how well it would work, before we did an actual test flight. With a number of really promising tests conducted, we then decided to perform a test flight.
We added several cameras to the rocket so we could see the plane from different angles, and with any luck some dramatic footage of the plane in flight. Then we armed the system and prepared for launch.
In this video, we show the concept in more detail, and then we want to hear your opinion. Do you think it will Fail or Fly? Post your ideas in the comments section of this video, and we may use your comments in the results video, which will be published at the end of the week.
Get your comments in now, and let us know. Will it Fail or Fly!
Our team was recently asked to assist some students participating in a water rocket distance competition held by their school. We had never done any experiments in achieving maximum distance, so we were excited by the prospect of applying our experience in setting world records for altitude, as well as the chance to work with students in the STEM field.
We have published the first episode of our documentary series that covers our experience in this project. In this introductory episode, we jump right into analysis of the competition rules and our thoughts on designing the perfect water rocket for this competition.
The video begins with a history of our involvement in the competition, and how we became involved, and then outlines all of the rules for the competition which we had to comply with. The video concludes with a rough design for the ideal rocket, and a test plan for the design which will fine tune the rocket to maximize the performance.
Check out the video, and let us know what you think in the comments section of the video.
Many people have discovered that 2 liter soda bottles can be used to store compressed air and used in places where "canned air" is typically used. Dusting electronics and airbrushing are just some of the uses people have used homemade soda bottle air tanks for. Some of the more inventive people out there have created arrays of soda bottles to increase their tank capacity. Some of these people have even realized that they can increase the volume of their individual air tanks by joining multiple bottles together using our bottle splicing technique.
The usual method for making an air tank involves drilling holes in the bottle caps and then attaching a rubber hose fitting to the hole. This technique is time consuming and can leak air. Fortunately, people wishing to find a better way to do this have another option: the U.S. Water Rockets Soda Bottle to 3/8" NPT Pipe Adapter!
These adapters were created so that we could more easily pressure test our water rockets or for burst testing of bottles, and we still use them for this purpose. But these adapters are a great solution for making a soda bottle compressed air tank farm! You can use them for either of these purposes, and probably a lot more functions that we have not even thought of!
The files and instructions are available for download on our Thingiverse page. Enjoy!
This week's video demonstrates a Water Rocket painting technique we have developed and tested for some time, and it has proven to give excellent results. This technique is very simple, and produces a finish that is as smooth and glossy as glass, without any buffing or polishing at all. Best of all, it's incredibly easy for anyone to get these results.
Not only does this method produce a great finish, it also is much more durable and will not scratch off from repeated use, nor will it peel away if you apply tape to the rocket. It is so tough, that you can paint the entire rocket, including the pressurized parts, and not even the pressure will affect it!
Check out the new video, and leave us a comment to let us know what you think!
Stay tuned for more exciting videos by subscribing to our channel. We have wrapped some really fascinating projects up, and will be publishing the results very soon!
Introducing the U.S. Water Rockets Ultimate Tornado Tube! This free downloadable 3D Printer object is our take on the classic "Tornado Tube", used for joining soft drink bottles together to create massively huge water rockets.
The "tornado tube" name comes from a science toy which is used to connect two bottles together to demonstrate a vortex when water moves from one bottle to another. Water rocket builders quickly seized upon this science toy and repurposed it as a water rocket bottle coupler.
However, the science toy version of the Tornado Tube is notorious for leaking air or water when under pressure, and it is also known for choking the flow inside the rocket, due to the small opening between the bottles that is formed by the seats for the flat washer seals.
Our design uses an external o-ring seal on each end, which we invented when designing our Gardena water rocket nozzle. Our seal design creates an unrestricted flow between bottles for optimum performance.
Long ago we decided that if we could hold the Water Rocket World Record for 10 years, that we would publish the details of how we made our High Pressure Water Rockets, to help get more people interested in competing. Little did we know at the time we passed the 10 year mark that there was a group in Capetown, South Africa who were already secretly designing a rocket similar in design to ours.
U.S. Water Rockets X-14 High Pressure Water Rocket
Our very first World Record was 1,421 feet (433 meters), set on September 2, 2004. For qualification, we had to average two flights in a 2 hour time period. Those flights were 1,382 feet and 1,450 feet high. The average of the two flights was the 1,421 foot world record, surpassing the former World Record held by Anti Gravity Research of 1,242 feet. In the following few years, we incrementally raised the record multiple times, culminating in a record of 2,044 feet.
By September of 2014, no other team had surpassed our 1,421 record from 2004, so we began work on a series of videos explaining how we build these rockets. The videos are available on our YouTube Channel along with many of our other experiments and tutorials. Additional information can also be found on our website at www.USWaterRockets.com if you are interested in learning more. If you'd like to compete against the new record holder, Ascention III, then visit www.WRA2.org to see what it takes to qualify your rocket!
Part 2 of the video series explains multiple methods we created to eject the parachute from our rockets. These designs date back over 12 years, and our early work seems primitive by modern standards, yet it was enough to hold the record for an astounding 11 years!
Various Parachute Ejection Systems are Explained in Part 2 of our Video Series
Check out the video here:
Part 1 of the video series discusses the most difficult part of the High Pressure Water Rocket, the Pressure Vessel. The video explains several methods for making this component and includes detailed animations and live action video of actual rocket builds, explaining the processes. Check out the video, and let us know what you think!
Important: High Pressure Water Rockets can be very dangerous. They can explode and cause great harm, or they could impact something and cause injury or property damage. Always follow the appropriate safety precautions when working with these kinds of rockets. Be safe!
In our Blog Post from February 3, 2015, we announced that we had created a 3D printable Water Rocket Gardena Nozzle and subsequently provided a link to the printable object on Thingiverse. Several people wanted to know how to build a suitable launcher for this type of Water Rocket, so we created a new Tutorial set that explains the procedure in detail.
Gardena Water Rocket Launcher
We have created a Video Tutorial that explains how to make the Gardena Launcher, and also a nice Web version of the tutorial that you can reference. The Web version of the tutorial is available on our website at the following link:
Last fall, when we were hurriedly conducting some final experiments and recording some video from our onboard Mobius 1080P Tower Camera before the winter, our Water Rocket became stuck in a tall tree. The rocket, which was made from a large number of 1.5 liter bottles spliced together, contained 3 onboard cameras and an experimental payload and one of our DIY homebrew parachute deploying altimeters which had custom firmware with some new features in it.
We thought that with the increased popularity of multirotors and model rockets, that there would be a lot of people who could benefit from our years of experience in how to safely recover things which get stuck in trees.
We really wanted this expensive rocket and all of the video and experimental test data which it had collected back, so we attempted several methods for recovering the rocket. We threw things at it to try and dislodge it, we tried to toss a rope over it, but it was too high to reach. We had to drive all the way home and bring back our Tree Recovery System. This device was created about 10 years ago when our World Record Setting X-10 Water Rocket got stuck in a tree.
In our latest tutorial, we show you how we built this device and how you use it to recover things that come stuck in trees. Check out the links to the web tutorial, and watch the online video we posted to YouTube, which we link to below.
Have you ever wondered what a Water Rocket launch looks like if you were standing on the nose of the rocket looking down? Well, we were curious to know how it w...ould look, so we created our "Tower Camera" made from a Mobius 1080P Action Camera installed in a custom made waterproof enclosure. We launched the camera several times and were able to create some spectacular onboard footage.
We have plans to use the Tower Camera in some of our future Water Rocket experiments, which we will be discussing in more detail in the future and of course we will be documenting on our YouTube Channel. If you don't want to miss any of the action, you should subscribe. We would appreciate your show of support with the subscription.
The YouTube video which we produced about this project is embedded below. Enjoy!
This week we have published a lengthy tutorial that discusses a number of methods which we have developed over the past 12 years of building High Power Water Rockets. As the World Record holding Team, we have learned a lot, and we've decided that publishing a tutorial on the subject should generate interest in building more rockets like these, and will hopefully help generate more interest in Water Rocketry.
This is a very complex subject, and it involves a lot of techniques that have never been duplicated by anyone else. As this is such a involved subject, we have broken the tutorial into a number of different topics which will spread the material out over a multiple part video series. Each "episode" will explain in detail a specific aspect of High Power Water Rockets, and go into detail with instructions showing different methods for making the various components.
Each video will include detailed diagrams to show you the techniques and instructions as clearly as we know how, in addition to actual build and testing footage of some of our famous Water Rockets, which you may have seen on the internet or on Mythbusters.
The first episode of the series is linked below. If you appreciate the effort that goes into making these videos, please click on the like buttons, subscribe, and leave us some feedback with your comments and suggestions. Stay tubed for more videos and updates.
Our latest video introduces a new method for making Gardena (Garden Hose Quick Release) Nozzles for Water Rockets which we have been experimenting with over the past few years. What we have been doing is designing and testing various Water Rocket components that can be 3D printed. We're really impressed with the quality and durability of these parts, and we're ready to share what we have learned about 3D printing with our friends in the Water Rocket Community. We hope that as 3D printers become commonplace, that some of our work will be helpful to others.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of the 3D Printer is in the time it saves. There was a time when it could take 30 or 40 minutes to make a single nozzle, and so if we were making multiple rockets or spare parts, it could take a whole day of work. With the 3D printer we just punch in that we want 6 identical copies and go away to work on something else (or sleep). We return later and collect 6 perfect and identical parts! It's amazing!
Last week, we published a tutorial and video showing how anyone can make 3D video using a simple 3D Camera Rig that anyone can build. This week, we take the concept to the extreme by mounting a pair of high speed cameras to the 3D Rig and recording 3D Slow Motion Water Rocket launch Videos!
We also put together a short video of 3D Slow Motion Water Rocket Launch Highlights, from various launches we have done over the past few years. You will be able to see 3D Camera Tests, Chase Camera Launches, and some good old fashioned bottle launching fun! Check out the Slow Motion 3D Video on our YouTube Channel here:
A while ago, we created a Dual Camera Rig, which is used to make 3D Videos and Photos, and we used it to take a number of 3D videos of our experimental Water Rocket launches. Since the weather has been too cold for conducting experiments, we decided to catch up on some of these older projects which we documented but never formally published.
On our website, we have released a new tutorial, showing you how we built the 3D Camera Rig, and how to use it. We also included some instructions for how to combine the 3D photos and videos you take with the 3D Camera Rig into stunning 3D images you can view with Red/Blue 3D glasses and YouTube Videos you can view with one of several 3D viewing options available on YouTube. They even have modes that you can use with no glasses at all (sometimes called "crosseyed" viewing).
We have also compiled a short video montage of High Definition 3D Video clips which we have recorded over the past few years using the 3D Camera Rig. Check out the 3D video samples on our YouTube Channel below:
We hope you enjoy the 3D Videos, and would love to see any videos that you create using our 3D Camera Rig concept.
Over the past few weeks, we've been engaged in a discussion on the Water Rocket Forum after we posted a video we found on YouTube about a toy Water Rocket which we had never seen before. The toy had a unique launching system where the rocket is tossed in the air and a lanyard attached to your wrist activates a launching mechanism when the rocket reaches the end of the lanyard.
A forum member going by the name "Bugwubber" took up our challenge to reverse engineer the toy, and was able to figure out the system by analyzing the video frame by frame. He came up with some diagrams and a video showing how it operates.
We built on Bugwubber's work, by combining it with our own Radial Deploy System to create a concept for our own type of staging system, for which we have started a new project series to share our work.
A unique feature of the system is that it has the ability to be initiated while in flight at any point in time, simply by changing the time delay after launch. Instead of the typical staging system that will only fire at burnout, this new system is cable of delaying until a more favorable booster firing altitude has been reached. This ability is known as "air-start" in rocketry terminology, so we adopted it for this design as well.
We've linked to the first video to kick off the new project, showing our concept and an animation illustrating how it operates. We hope you will follow along as we continue to build and test this idea in the coming months!
This week, we are happy to announce a new type of Parachute Recovery System for rockets of all types, which combines the best features of an Axial System (large volume) and a Radial System (simple construction, and high reliability) to create a Hybrid system that is better than the sum of its parts.
If you would like to see a video showing how we build and tested the Hybrid Deploy, check out the link below to the video on our YouTube Channel: http://youtu.be/_x7sSLBN8zk
Our friend Bugwubber on
the WRA2 Water Rocket Forum (waterrocketforum.com) recently discovered that PL
Premium Construction Adhesive is available in a small re-sealable tube! We
located the small tube at our local home improvement store, and confirmed it is
available from online merchants like amazon.com and others. The part number to
order is: Osi Sealants/henkel Adhesives #1451588.
This new packaging option may make it easier for Water Rocket makers around the globe to obtain this adhesive where it was previously unavailable or cost prohibitive to ship due to the large and heavy caulk cartridge container. This small tube is perfect for water rockets because the screw-on cap prevents the unused potion from curing when not in use.
You may find that the 4oz tube is too small if you follow the obsolete and wasteful splicing tutorials that have been copied over and over since the late 20th century, but this 4oz tube is perfect for the efficient splices that we created for our rockets. You can see our tutorial for splicing using our modernized technique on our YouTube Channel at the following link:
The new splicing method has been repeatedly tested and can hold around 200PSI if you take your tine and follow the splice instructions closely. Pressure testing of the new splice is available at this link:
Using this splice technique, this 4oz tube should be
enough to build more than 10 very large water rockets, similar to the one shown
in this video:
We hope that this new packaging proves useful to our friends overseas where PL Premium has been hard to obtain. Let us know what you think!
U.S. Water Rockets is pleased to announce the publication of the new book: Make: Rockets: Down-to-Earth Rocket Science, by Mike Westerfield.
This book is a must-have for anyone interested in model rocketry. It is an incredible resource for beginners and experts alike. This book covers every aspect of model rocketry and includes detailed step-by-step instructions for building and flying a vast number of different types of model rockets, from simple soda straws, to multi stage solid propellant rockets, and even water rockets with servo parachute recovery.
The book is filled with an incredible amount of photos and illustrations, and tons of construction tips never before collected in a single place. Bolstering the value of the book is the amount of meticulously researched and documented science that is explained in plain English, which brings the highly technical aspects of rocket science within reach of everyone.
And if you haven't guessed it by now by looking at the book cover photo, U.S. Water Rockets was involved with the creation of the Water Rocket chapters in this book! It was great fun helping to create this wonderful model rocketry resource, and to help introduce Water Rockets to a wider audience. Who knows, this book may inspire the next Air Command to take up the hobby, like our contribution to the Water Rocket segment on MythBusters did!
U.S. Water Rockets is pleased to announce the release of the LaunchPad AlTImeter, the Model Rocket Altimeter that you build yourself using the FREE plans and software that are available for download on our website!
The LaunchPad AlTImeter was designed to meet the needs specific to both Pyro Rockets and Water Rockets, and it is packed it with useful features. Even so, the designers worked tirelessly to keep the project cost very low!
Some of the main features of the LaunchPad AlTImeter design include:
Peak Altitude Report (up to > 32,000 feet)
<1 foot (30 cm) Altitude Resolution
Automatic Apogee Detection with Deploy Trigger Outputs
Configurable Deploy Output Polarity
Configurable Deploy Delay
Automatic Launch Detection detects slow acceleration (small nozzle water rockets)
Direct Servo Deploy Driver Output
~3.3V Digital Deploy Output
Visual and Audio Feedback
Low Power Texas Instruments MSP430 Microcontroller Core
Low Cost
Easy to build (Extensive Documentation on USWaterRockets.com)
Free Plans and Software Downloads
Operates from 3.7VDC to 10.0VDC (Max 6.0VDC if Servo is used)
To keep the cost to the end user as low as possible, we chose the Texas Instruments MSP430 LaunchPad development board as the core for the platform, and added a few simple components to create a very easy to build project. By using the MSP430 LaunchPad as a starting point, we have provided a path for those who are using our previously released ServoChron Servo Timer system to upgrade to a fully functional peak recording altimeter with servo motor deploy.
We've just posted an update to our Water Rocket Chase Camera Project which shows how we repaired and improved the Chase Camera Pod that was destroyed in the collision with the Rocket Thrust Water Column in the first part of the project. The new design was modified so that it would avoid meeting its demise in the same way, and we achieved some success in preventing the damage with the new style Chase Camera design, while obtaining some amazing exterior footage of the rocket through the entire flight.
