Styrofoam Cup Rocket - Anybody Done This?

[lakeroadster]

I've got some spare parts left over and thought this might be a fun build.

Your standard styrofoam cup with a D12-3 motor.

Open rocket says 508 ft apogee.

Engine falls out the back when ejection charge fires, engine attached to shroud lines that also attach to cup lip, cup acts as a parachute.

Looks like it will fly.

Cup diameter should be large enough to avoid Krushnic effect.

 

[tim cubbedge]

Our club has competition every year with styrofoam cups.

 

[Scott_650]

Chris at Odd’l Rockets has a design called the Up! Cup that he kits occasionally but it’s not hard to do yourself. Your OR file looks pretty good - not risking much to build one and try it out.

 

[kuririn]

There's the Odd'l Rockets Up! Cup:



Video of launch here:

https://www.facebook.com/100012924092410/videos/o.1555982741344608/416769802097153/?type=2&theater

Straight flyer, easily replaceable, lots of fun.

 

[kuririn]

And from the Fliskits website, here's a picture of two kits using Styrofoam cups from the innovative mind of Jim Flis:



UFFO and Decaffeinator with foam parasite glider. Still showing available, even with Fliskits' closure right around the corner.
The last page of the Decaffeinator instruction sheet shows other possibilities, including a 118 cup rocket called the Humongous as well as staged versions. The sky's the limit. Hope this inspires you, Lake. Cheers!

 

[LW Bercini]

And from the Fliskits website, here's a picture of two kits using Styrofoam cups from the innovative mind of Jim Flis:

The Decaffeinator design is not original to Flis. The originator was Gary Byrum's dad, back in 1970

View attachment 361813

UFFO and Decaffeinator with foam parasite glider. Still showing available, even with Fliskits' closure right around the corner.
The last page of the Decaffeinator instruction sheet shows other possibilities, including a 118 cup rocket called the Humongous as well as staged versions. The sky's the limit. Hope this inspires you, Lake. Cheers!

 

[kuririn]

Thanks for the clarification, LW. I know people were making and flying Styrofoam cup rockets long before these kits came out.

 

[LW Bercini]

Thanks for the clarification, LW. I know people were making and flying Styrofoam cup rockets long before these kits came out.

I published plans for Moondipper II, my attempt to improve on Gary's dad's design in my local newsletter, some time around 1980. Evidently, it inspired some folks at the Pearl River Convention who ran with it and turned it into a "thing"

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Not a Styrofoam cup, but a red Solo cup, after the song...

 

[Red Phenix]

Karl Hemphill flies these, and toblerone packets, and tin cans, and ... think he flew a stack of 13 - coz, why not.

When not doing that he is leading a 1:1 scale V2 rocket building project. [emoji1597]

The styrofoam cups used thick cardboard fins. Motor eject in the bottom section of the rocket.

Goodluck

 

[Rockyt]

See, I wouldn't refer to that singer...then, the rocket would fizzle until it takes off, then burnt out quickly, and finally fade into obsucrity....with no one to bring it back, except in pictures and videos, for reference.

 

[alexzogh]

I published plans for Moondipper II, my attempt to improve on Gary's dad's design in my local newsletter, some time around 1980. Evidently, it inspired some folks at the Pearl River Convention who ran with it and turned it into a "thing"

‘I was just reading some old NIRA newsletters from the 80’s, and ran across your Moondipper article.

https://www.nirarocketry.org/docs/LE/1982/LE1982n3.pdf