How to Construct and Operate

a Bottle Rocket

By: Fall 2015 COM 221 Students

Kyle Mason, Colin Ferrell, and Lukas Delong

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 Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………….3
 History
 Purpose
 Skill Requirements
 Time Requirements
 Why build a bottle rocket?
 Safety Signals
Supplies Required………………………………………………………………...4
 Materials Needed
 Tools Required
 Work Conditions
Safety Information………………………………………………………………..5
 Scissors and Box Cutter
 Bottle Rocket Operation
 Hot Glue Gun (Optional)
Labeled Parts……………………………………………………………………...6
Construction………………………………………………………………………7
 Rocket Body / Nosecone
 Fins
 Launching Mechanism
Assembly…………………………………………………………………………...9
 Attaching the Nosecone
 Attaching the Fins
 Attaching the Launching Mechanism
 Applying Weight (Optional)
Finished
Product…………………………………………………………………………...11
Operation and Completion……………………………………………………...12
 Operating Instructions
 Troubleshooting

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 Introduction
History
Humanity, throughout history, has always gazed towards the stars. People have always
dreamed of exploring the vastness of space, but in only the latter half of the twentieth century
were humans able to actually leave Earth and pursue these dreams. Rockets are what make these
endeavors possible, and Bottle Rockets are a recreational application of these concepts used for
entertainment and education.

Purpose
This document will instruct the user to safely build and operate a bottle rocket that will
use pressurized air and water to launch a minimum of thirty feet using low cost materials.

Skills Requirements
 Cutting
 Measuring
 Operate a bike pump
 Operate a hot glue gun (Optional)
 Apply duct tape

Time Requirement
Construction and assembly of the bottle rocket should take approximately one to two
hours to complete.

Why Build a Bottle Rocket?

Bottle rockers are a great do-it-yourself project and are fun for all ages. Parents can enjoy
time with their children as they help them create a fun toy. Now it’s time to begin constructing
your very own bottle rocket! Once made, this trebuchet will be able to launch approximately
thirty feet into the air.

Safety Signals
Indicates that the audience may be at risk for serious injury or death.

Indicates that the audience may be injured if the step is done improperly.

Indicates that mistakes may cause damage to the product or equipment.

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 Supplies Required

Materials Needed
 Two clean, empty 2-litre soda bottles of similar shape
 A roll of duct tape
 Plenty of cardboard
 Cork that is 2cm in diameter
 Hot glue sticks (Optional)
 Thread / String
 Silicone Adhesive
 Bicycle tire air valve
 Toothpick
 Straw that is at least 5cm long with a hole ½ cm in diameter

Tools Needed
 Scissors
 Box cutter
 Ruler
 Marker
 Cork
 Bike pump
 Hot glue gun (Optional)
 Leather gloves
 Protective goggles

Working Conditions
Construction should be done in a well-lit, well-ventilated area with a clean table and
access to plenty of work space. Launching should be done in a wide open area with few people
around and no risk for property damage.

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 Safety Information

Scissors and Box Cutter

 Never run with any sharp object

 Box cutters should be closed or retracted when not in use
 Keep away from children

Bottle Rocket

 Only the operator should be near the bottle rocket prior to launch
 Do not launch when around groups of people
 Rocket can be behave erratically once launched, so avoid groups of people to prevent
potential for injury

Hot Glue Gun (If Used)

 A hot glue gun can cause severe burns

 Keep the hot glue gun away from water and flammable materials
 Do not leave the hot glue gun unattended
 Keep the hot glue gun away from children
 Always unplug the hot glue gun when done, allow it to cool, and then proceed to put it
away.

 If gloves and protection are not use, hot glue gun may cause severe burns

 If hot glue gun is left on and unattended, glue may melt in gun

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Labeled Parts

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 Construction
Rocket Body and Nosecone
1. Remove the top of one of the 2-litre bottles
a. Draw a line using your marker around the circumference of the bottle about 4.25
inches from the top of the bottle.
b. Using a box cutter, puncture the bottle along that line.
c. Using scissors, cut along the line until the top of the bottle is removed from the
rest of the bottle.
2. Place the severed top of the 2-litre bottle on the bottom of the second 2-litre bottle, as
shown
Note: The nosecone will determine how well the
bottle rocket will fly once launched. Though the
nosecone stated in the tutorial does work for the
purpose of this project, it is encouraged to try out
different designs of the nosecone in order to create a
more personal rocket.

Fins Figure 1

1. Place the cardboard on a flat, clean surface.

2. Using your marker, draw a 5 inches by 8
inches base triangle, as shown below.
3. Using the box cutter, cut out the cardboard
along the lines you drew in step two.
a. Press the pointed end of the box cutter
onto the end of one of the sides.
b. Apply enough pressure to drag the box
cutter along the drawn lines. Figure 2
4. Repeat steps 1-3 as many times as necessary until you have the desired amount of fins.
a. For the sake of this tutorial, we have used four fins of equal length.
Note: The fins determine how well the bottle rocket will fly once launched. Though the fins
stated in the tutorial do work for the purpose of this project, it is encouraged to try out differing
amounts and designs of fins in order to create a more personal rocket.

Launching Mechanism
1. Use toothpick to puncture a hole directly through the center of the
cork until there is a hole reaching from the top to the bottom.
2. Insert straw into the hole, and push it through until about half a
centimeter of straw is showing out of the top of the cork.

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Figure 3
3. Referring to the directions and warnings on the silicon adhesive,
apply to the top of the cork around the straw.
4. Secure the tire air valve to the top of the cork, placing the hole of the
underside directly over the straw.
5. After sufficient time has passed for the adhesive to dry, place more
silicon adhesive around the seal between the cork and the valve until
it appears to be air tight.
6. Wait sufficient time for the adhesive to dry. Figure 4

Figure 5

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 Assembly

Attaching the Nosecone and Launch Mechanism

1. The severed 2-litre bottle top is to be placed on the bottom of the second, untouched
2-litre bottle.
a. Apply a layer of duct tape around the circumference of the 2-litre bottle top
and the untouched bottle as shown.
b. Ensure that the bottle top is
perfectly straight up and not tilted
in any other direction.
2. If the bottle top is flimsy or feels insecure,
apply another layer of duct tape to
reinforce the strength of the first layer.
3. Press the 2cm diameter cork into the
nozzle until it is firmly in place. Figure 6

Attaching the Fins

1. Using the marker, draw a line on four equal intervals around the bottom of the rocket
body.
2. Attach the fin along the line you drew in step
one.
a. Place the fin parallel to the line you drew.
b. Ensure that the bottom of the fin is equal
distance to the nozzle, as shown.
i. In our design, this meant that the
bottom of the fin was two inches
below the beginning of the curvature
of the bottle. Figure 7
c. On one side of the fin, use duct tape to secure the fin along the line.
d. On the other side of the fin, secure it in one of the following ways:
i. Similar to step c, use duct tape to firmly secure the fin along the line.
ii. [Optional]: Use the hot glue gun to firmly secure the fin along the line, as
shown below.
e. Repeat steps a – d for all four fins.
Note: If you decided to use a different number of fins,
ensure that the fins are spread equally apart to ensure
efficient weight distribution.

9 Figure 8
Applying Weight [Optional]
1. Remove the cap at the top of the nosecone.
2. Using your desired weight (recommended: rocks, coins, etc.), insert the weight
through the hole.
3. Secure the cap at the top of the nosecone.
Note: Adding weight to your rocket is a great way to alter the trajectory and flight path post-
launch. Though this step is optional, it is a great way to experiment with different weights and
see how they correlate to the rocket’s flight behavior.

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Finished Product

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 Operation and Completion
Congratulations! You have successfully built your own bottle rocket and launcher! Using the
same skills you used to complete this task, you can now build more complex and custom bottle
rockets that can be tuned to fit your educational or recreational needs and even teach others Now
enjoy countless hours of launching rockets into the sky!

Operation Instructions
1. Make sure the area you are launching in is completely devoid of people who could be
injured in the launch.
2. Fill the bottle from the nozzle approximately one third of the way with water.
a. Experiment with the amount of water to see if it makes your rocket go further!
3. Position yourself next to the pump, and another person next to you with the string
attached to the cork in hand.
4. Push up and down on the bicycle pump until the meter reads approximately 90 psi.
5. Ensure that everyone taking part in the project is ready for the launch. This includes
clearing the way of any people who may have entered the launch zone.
6. The person holding the string attached to the cork must now pull very hard on the
string to remove the cork and release the pressurized air and water.
a. Depending on your proximity to the rocket at this point, you may get wet! Be
careful!
7. Watch and enjoy the show as your rocket goes soaring into the air!
Note: The success of the bottle rocket is extremely dependent on the weather conditions of your
launching area. Winds, humidity, temperature, and other weather conditions can and will affect
your rocket’s performance. Though these rockets cannot be mitigated or predicted, small
adjustments made to your rocket will allow it to function in as many environments as possible.

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Troubleshooting

Problem Possible Suggested Correction

Cause
The fins The fins Apply another layer of duct tape to the fins in order to
come loose were not secure them during your next launch.
in midflight. properly or
insufficiently
secured
during
construction.
The nose The surface Try launching your rocket in a field or park where the
cone is you ground is softer. Remove the duct tape from the nosecone,
dented in launched on remove the nosecone, push the dent out from the inside,
after a hard was hard. and reattach the nosecone.
impact post
launch.
The rocket The surface Find an area with a reasonably flat surface to launch at.
is launched you are Remove and reattach the nosecone so that it is pointed
at an angle launching on directly up and not slanted in any other direction.
instead of is slanted, or
straight up. the nosecone
was not
properly
attached and
is at an
angle.
The rocket The weather You can’t control the weather, but you can make
behaves conditions adjustments to improve your experience. Trying different
erratically are not in weights, fins, and nosecone designs will allow you to adapt
post launch. your favor your rocket to accommodate the poor weather conditions.
and causing
your rocket
to
misbehave.
The bottle is The seal Check the seal between the bottle and the cork. Insert cork
not between the further into the bottle if the seal isn’t tight. Check the seal
pressurizing. cork, valve, between the tire valve and cork. If the seal is not tight, add
or bottle adhesive to the leaks. Check for blockage in the straw. If
might not be straw is blocked replace it with a new one.
tight.

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