Bottle Rocket Handbook

Leo C. Singleton IV

Copyrightc

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author.

Acknowledgments

Although I can take credit for being the author of this handbook, much of its content is the hard work of other members, past and present, of the Columbus High School Science Olympiad team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and the many others for their contributions to this handbook.

Will Evans, the only one among us who actually plans to be-

come an aeronautical engineer, is responsible for many of the building techniques listed in the handbook. He protected his de- signs for reinforced ﬁns, airspeed ﬂaps, and drogue chutes as if they were children, before I decided to publish themto the world. Thanks Will.

Jamal Shaukat, our longest member of the Science Olympiad

team. Two years ago, he and I spent many long hours devel- oping the elliptical parachute algorithms and building the ﬁrst parachutes. And now, despite being a sophomore in college, Ja- mal still manages to attend more state competitions and rocket launches than anyone else on the team.

Linda Owens, our Science Olympiad coach, whom I promised

to leave plans and drawings for my rockets before I graduate.

Instead I’m leaving her a book. Good enough.

And the rest of theColumbus High School Science Olym-

piad Team, especially those of you who have come out to sup-

port us on cold, rainy days, chasing rockets through an overgrown ﬁeld of weeds and thornbushes. We couldn’t have done it without you.