How to Make a Water Rocket
Make a nose cone out of paper., Cut three fins out of cardboard., Attach the nose and fins to the bottle.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make a nose cone out of paper.
This will give your rocket more stability in flight.
It is also an important decorative element in making your water rocket look recognizably like a rocket, so be sure to pick out a color paper you like.
Draw a circle about 1’ in diameter.
The measurement doesn’t need to be precise, as you can make adjustments later.
The simplest way to do this is to find a bowl of about the right size, place it upside down on the piece of paper, and trace it.Cut out the circle, and cut a straight line from the outside to the approximate center of the circle.
Again, precision isn’t particularly important, just estimate where you think the center is.Slide the cut edges over each other to create a cone shape.
Hold it over the cone to figure out the right size, and then tape or glue the paper together so it holds that cone shape. -
Step 2: Cut three fins out of cardboard.
Like the nose cone, these will aid in stability, and make your rocket look more rocket-like.
There is no one right way for the fins to look, but they will likely be right angled scalene triangles (i.e. the sides will all be different lengths) with the second-longest sides of the triangles attached to the sides of the rocket.
It’s up to you to decide the exact dimensions of your fins.
Start by cutting a triangle out of cardboard, and holding it up to the side of the rocket to see how it looks.
Adjust the shape until you’re satisfied, then trace it onto the cardboard twice and cut two more identical triangles. , The nose cone goes on the bottom of the bottle.
The fins go midway up the body, spaced equally apart from each other around the circumference.
Use a low-heat hot glue gun to avoid melting the plastic. -
Step 3: Attach the nose and fins to the bottle.
Detailed Guide
This will give your rocket more stability in flight.
It is also an important decorative element in making your water rocket look recognizably like a rocket, so be sure to pick out a color paper you like.
Draw a circle about 1’ in diameter.
The measurement doesn’t need to be precise, as you can make adjustments later.
The simplest way to do this is to find a bowl of about the right size, place it upside down on the piece of paper, and trace it.Cut out the circle, and cut a straight line from the outside to the approximate center of the circle.
Again, precision isn’t particularly important, just estimate where you think the center is.Slide the cut edges over each other to create a cone shape.
Hold it over the cone to figure out the right size, and then tape or glue the paper together so it holds that cone shape.
Like the nose cone, these will aid in stability, and make your rocket look more rocket-like.
There is no one right way for the fins to look, but they will likely be right angled scalene triangles (i.e. the sides will all be different lengths) with the second-longest sides of the triangles attached to the sides of the rocket.
It’s up to you to decide the exact dimensions of your fins.
Start by cutting a triangle out of cardboard, and holding it up to the side of the rocket to see how it looks.
Adjust the shape until you’re satisfied, then trace it onto the cardboard twice and cut two more identical triangles. , The nose cone goes on the bottom of the bottle.
The fins go midway up the body, spaced equally apart from each other around the circumference.
Use a low-heat hot glue gun to avoid melting the plastic.
About the Author
Elizabeth Wells
Experienced content creator specializing in home improvement guides and tutorials.
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