Upscaled Water Rockets

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Bowhunter

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I challenge any one to build a upscaled water rocket up to 55gal. cap.
 
I think I read something about that requiring L1 cert... :rolleyes:

However, I have some 5 gal bottles laying around... :D
 
IIRC the biggest I've seen was built from a 5gal water cooler bottle, and one that had maybe a dozen 2 liter. 55gal is purty large :)
 
Dont forget your BATFE certificate for large dihydromonoxide rockets. :D

David
 
Originally posted by DavRedf
Dont forget your BATFE certificate for large dihydromonoxide rockets. :D

David

OMG! the most dangerous chemical ever! people are building rockets out of it? What will become of the world? AHHH! Uh-oh, what's this i'm drinking? dihydrogen monoxide? Goodbye, cruel world...

:rolleyes: :D

Ahem.

On a slightly more serious note, what PSIs would you need to loft a 5 gallon jug? A gallon weighs 8lbs, so even at half full it would be 20 pounds, and you need what, a J or K motor to safely loft that?
 
Dihydrogen monoxide is a major component of acid rain, and has factored in many deaths and injuries, including drowning and burns! Ban it at once.
 
Originally posted by Blue_Ninja_150
OMG!

On a slightly more serious note, what PSIs would you need to loft a 5 gallon jug? A gallon weighs 8lbs, so even at half full it would be 20 pounds, and you need what, a J or K motor to safely loft that?
I think you are supposed to use the water as a pressurized propellent...
 
Maybe I should update my website to include the truths about dihydrogen monoxide.
 
Originally posted by shrox
I think you are supposed to use the water as a pressurized propellent...

That's of course what I would assume.

I don't know the answer to blueninja's question on PSIs, but you could go to one of the online water rocket simulators and find out.
 
Originally posted by shrox
I think you are supposed to use the water as a pressurized propellent...

Yea.. I know. I have done water rockets once before, teh day before i got addicted to BP. I was just assuming what you would need for a solid propellant motor to loft the same weight, hence the psi's.

:)
 
Originally posted by Blue_Ninja_150
Yea.. I know. I have done water rockets once before, teh day before i got addicted to BP. I was just assuming what you would need for a solid propellant motor to loft the same weight, hence the psi's.

:)


Figure the water weight, guess the rocket weight (heavy for a 55gal payload), use basic rocket math to size a motor, go to manufacturer's catalogs and pick the next staandard motor with the right thrust.

A 55gal water rocket will take serious pressure and a seriously strong vessel. Would certainly be easier to loft the weight using AP. Safer too.
 
How about a 55gal volume as a steam chamber? Think I'll look around for steam rockets. I know Evel Kinevel's Skycycle was steam powered.
 
There was an article in HPR mag about a steam go-cart. The person has previously flown a steam rocket. IIRC it was over 50 lbs, used 2 gal of water, ran over 1000 psi and was in the 'L' range.
 
Don't forget the 1:4 scaling rule, if it is twice as big it is four times as heavy.
 
Originally posted by Blue_Ninja_150
Got a link to the story if its online?

Look on the Reaction Research Societies page. There might be something there.
 
Originally posted by jcrocket
NFPA 1127 Code for High Power Rocketry (1998 edition)

1-1.6 This code shall not apply to model or toy rockets propelled by pressurized liquid rocket motors containing less than 8.45 oz (250 ml) of water.

So if you state has adopted 1127, you're looking at all the regs behind a HPR.

Joel. phx

Hmmm... someone on eBay is selling a kit to make a water rockets out of a 2 liter soda bottle... from the pictures I recall, the bottle looks to be more than half full at launch. Maybe I can afford to get into HPR. :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by jcrocket
NFPA 1127 Code for High Power Rocketry (1998 edition)

1-1.6 This code shall not apply to model or toy rockets propelled by pressurized liquid rocket motors containing less than 8.45 oz (250 ml) of water.

So if you state has adopted 1127, you're looking at all the regs behind a HPR.

Joel. phx
I don't think I would worry about that one too much anyway. A LEUP for water?
 
Wouldn't need a LEUP, but you might have to be certified. Luckily you are allowed to buy the water necessary for the cert flight in order to cert! Man this is making me thirsty, luckily as a L2 I can legally obtain that water.

I would find it totally weird if anybody hassled you for a water rocket based on adoption of this code.
 
I have flown a lot of water rockets. I never thought about having to get certified for them though. Most of mine, IIRC, had over 250mL in them, most started at about 750-1000 mL. I guess I shouldn't have built those 2 and three stagers that containg upwards of 4.5L of water :eek: I have also seen a 5 gallon deep rock type bottle launched..quite impressive. With the 2L versions most people run at 85-100 psi. Some people wind carbon fiber around the 2L bottle and go for higher pressure bottles. I've heard also that the flourescent light protectors make great pressure vessels....until upon hydrotesting it shoots into your garage ceiling and master bedroom floor.... On Yahoo! Groups there is a water rocket group that many people are actively involved in, I wouldn't doubt if someone doesn't have a 55 gallon one sitting around.

Edward
 
This is a very good point. I was again looking through my old copy of the regs and it once again blows my mind that water rockets would have slipped in at all. It's totally illogical...a field day for lawyers. I can see them hiring a physicist to prove my rocket had to have had enough water to make it HPR. But I guess the way it would work would be for my insurance to deny the claim, and make me hire a lawyer to hire the physicist

One question, is the section that discusses certification still entitled 'Solid propellant High Power Rocket Motors'?
 
I remember somebody made a water rocket about that size (55 gal) from from a cattle watering station reservior, and actually flew it. Thats a lot of H2O4! I used to have a link to the pictures and video that was posted but I can't find it! As I recall it only flew about 20 feet into the air.

Bruce S. Levison, NAr #69055
 
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