Rocket Project - Student Questionnaire printable pdf download

Think Like A Rocket Scientist!

Rocket Project - Student Instructions

If you are participating in the rocket project, then you probably want your rocket to fly as straight and as high

as possible. You might think that building a paper or card stock model rocket is a simple task, but quite to the

contrary, it is more difficult than building a much larger rocket. Careful attention to detail when building your

rocket will make a big difference in its performance.

The compressed air launcher

Your rocket will be launched from one of the compressed air launchers built by volunteers at the Patriots Jet

Team Foundation. The launcher will be pressurized to exactly 40 psi. You will be given a length of PVC pipe

that is the same diameter as the pipe on the launcher to use as a guide when building your rocket body.

The rocket design

Here are a few hints about designing your rocket:



The basic design has 3 parts: the body, the fins, and the nose cone. You may add, subtract, or modify

any of the parts for your design.



When taping the rocket body, place the tape on the long axis of the rocket. Don't wrap tape around the

body and leave gaps for the air to escape.



Fins assist in keeping a rocket on a straight path. However, you should be aware that fins are also a

source of air drag that can slow your rocket's flight a bit. The trade-off is to use fins and accept the

drag, or fly without fins and hope that the rocket doesn't wobble. Your choice. In any case, keep in

mind that the larger the fins, the more drag they will produce.



The nose cone can be your own design or the one on the template. Long, slender nose cones produce

less drag than short, fat cones.

Hints about building your rocket

Once your design is complete and drawn onto the paper or card stock, carefully cut out the parts.

Build the rocket body first by wrapping the paper or card stock around the PVC pipe. The rocket body should

fit snug around the pipe to "capture" all the power of the compressed air during launch. However, be careful

not to make the fit so tight that it cannot be easily pulled off the pipe. Too tight and the rocket will stick on the

launcher and reduce its altitude capability. In the worst case, it may not even get off the launcher! Too loose

and the compressed air will leak out through the space between the launcher pipe and the rocket body.

If you have designed your rocket to have fins, be sure to space them evenly around the rocket body. For

example, 4 fins would be spaced exactly 90 degrees apart, and 3 fins would be spaced 120 degrees apart.

When attaching the fins to the rocket body, be very careful to use a minimum amount of tape. Use enough to

ensure that the fins will stay on the body, but not so much that the air flow between the fins and the body is

disturbed or blocked.

The nose cone will be the hardest part to build accurately. Do your best to keep the surface smooth and free

of wrinkles. Also, take care to keep any tape from disturbing the smooth surface.

When fitting the nose cone to the rocket, make certain that it is exactly aligned with the longitudinal (long) axis

of the rocket body. If the point of the nose cone is not aligned with the rocket body, your rocket will not ascend

in a straight line. Also, take care when applying tape on this joint as any wrinkles or open edges will cause

increased air drag on your rocket and reduce its performance.

What design feature of the rocket has the greatest effect on flight performance?

Air rockets fly though the air and therefore have to be designed to create as little air resistance as possible.

Crooked fins or a blunt nose cone increases air drag (Friction) causing the rocket to slow quickly. The second

most important design feature is weight. Weight is a more complicated factor than streamlining. Too much

weight and the rocket will not fly very high. The same effect takes place if the rocket weighs too little.

What to consider While Building your Rocket:

Length of Nose Cone and Body Tube

Location of Pressure Cap

Number and Shape of Fins

Location of Fins on Body Tube

Pressure Cap or No Pressure Cap

Rocket Project - Student Questionnaire

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