Blast off

We made a rocket. Well, technically it's not a rocket, but it is a ballistic missile, of sorts. To see a successful launch, have a look at the movie below.



The original inspiration was Lego. We were playing with the Lego as normal, when Elissa asked if we could build a "real" rocket for people to go up in. I explained that we couldn't build one that big, but that we could probably build a little one. I meant to do it last weekend, but never got around to it. This weekend, when Elissa requested we "make sumfing" I thought we'd give it a go. Below is a complete launch, including countdown.


You'll notice just before launch, the second-to-last "engine" breaks, which is why the rocket didn't get much height.


To the right is the rocket itself. It's just 2½ toilet rolls and some duct tape. As the saying goes; "when the going gets tough, the tough get duct tape."




To the Left is the propulsion system, shown running at 17% of maximum power.


The breakage problem is caused by the fact that there is a sharp lip on a reinforcing ring inside the tube which the rubber bands are stretched over on each launch, resulting in a fairly limited lifetime. I have plans for a spring-driven replacement, which will be more durable, and lend itself to further enhancements, including the addition of a parachute.

A couple of quotes from footage not shown above:

"Everyone will see that rocket won't they? Wow, that was quick! "

"Everyone will think it is a real rocket."

Who says you need explosives to have fun?