Bottle Rocket B

[Jim_R]

Discussion for Bottle Rocket B.

Bottle Rocket Wiki
Bottle Rocket Image Gallery

New York Division C 2011 trial rules

[calgoddard]

The current wiki for this event on this web site seems to paraphrase the 2011 rules at the beginning in stating that 1L bottles will be used, and then later on it discusses a so - called "standard design" that uses a 2L bottle.

This is a little confusing. I don't know if we should be experimenting with 1L bottle rockets or 2L bottle rockets. Bottle rocket design considerations are seriously affected by the type of bottle.

[rocketman1555]

The current wiki for this event on this web site seems to paraphrase the 2011 rules at the beginning in stating that 1L bottles will be used, and then later on it discusses a so - called "standard design" that uses a 2L bottle.

This is a little confusing. I don't know if we should be experimenting with 1L bottle rockets or 2L bottle rockets. Bottle rocket design considerations are seriously affected by the type of bottle.

I would be experimenting with a 2L bottle, the wiki is paraphrasing rules from 2005 or 2006.

[paleonaps]

Two liter seems to be the standard, and it makes the most sense to me. They are the most available.

[JustDroobles]

Do you think Coke's new shapes for their 2-liters will lead to any innovative designs?

[rocketman1555]

Do you think Coke's new shapes for their 2-liters will lead to any innovative designs?

I think they will just be a pain for putting fins on. The only change I can see design wise is a different shape for a nose cone.

[paleonaps]

Once at a summer camp I was in, I saw someone take a new-shape Sprite bottle and just duct tape it into a nose cone, with fins- no parachute. It got a very good time, so I think that if anything, the new shape may help you.

[calgoddard]

It would be very challenging, and interesting, if the 2011 rules for Bottle Rocket required 2L bottles but limited the overall length of the rocket to thirty (30) inches or less because the backslider configuration would effectively be eliminated as a workable design.

[AlphaTauri]

Yes, but if they directly or indirectly banned backsliders, wouldn't everyone just make a parachute? (Better question: Wouldn't people just do that anyways, since a parachute tends to give you more hang time than a backslider?) Unless they banned both...but I doubt they'll do that, especially since this is the first year for bottle rockets.

[calgoddard]

Parachutes have been disallowed in past bottle rocket events.

With that ban, and an indirect ban on backsliders, students would be forced to explore other configurations, such as
a bottle rocket glider.

Helicopter recovery would also be a viable option, but only if the rules did not ban a rocket that changed configuration to deploy a recovery device.

[rocketman1555]

Clarification on the stuff in the wiki: I would not pay attention to any of the rule stuff it mentions except two liter bottles, and the not changing configuration. Eventually I will get around to fixing the rest of the rule stuff in it, but I don't have time right now.

[AlphaTauri]

I don't think they'd ban backsliders and parachutes in the first year of the event. Maybe one or the other, but I think they might take pity on the competitors this year (especially since it's Div B and people wouldn't have competed in a rocketry event before) and decide to ban all that stuff next year.

[rocketman1555]

My earlier comment should have been change in shape, which wouldn't ban backsliders.

[packer-backer91]

In the last few weeks of high school my school's physics class made bottle rockets, and because I had been my own science Olympiad class I decided to make one too. The model I made was crazy simple and was literally like a missile went straight up and strait down with a lot force (bounced a good 7 feet when hit the ground). The model went according to the teacher’s calculations around 125ft all I did was took two 2L bottles and cut the top off one remove the cap and the neck of the bottle and attached it to the pressure vessel. What was key to both to get go straight up and down was the amount of weight I put in the nose of the rocket, if some wants to try this simple design it can be properly weighted to the point that it fall on its side thus giving a decent time. I may post the pictures of the rocket some time if I can ever find them. Two words of wisdom if anyone try’s the design it will take a long time to get correct but will be more consistent than any paper cone rocket that could be destroyed after any test thus having to make another cone, and fins can realy make it spin A LOT if aligned correctly thus allowing to travel strait up in the presences of wind.

I really want to find the pic’s I took of it, I named it The Predator, because the I thought it would be more fun to see my rocket come down like a missile like in Call of Duty. If a parshoot or like device are banned side gliders probably going to be what most rockets will become. I think use of plastic bottles is better than paper that is very weather dependent [rain, humidity can be catastrophic for these cones], I seen one at regionals sheer to peace’s when it was launched because it was raining and windy.

[drifter601]

Are parachutes legal this year???