Paper and Tape Rocket

by parkerk1725 in Outside > Rockets

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Paper and Tape Rocket

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me n my pal, ryan, make a cool paper and tape rocket to launch with pressurized air and hope it doesn’t blow up.
ingredients for a rad rocket:
-a black pipe air canon to launch it
-2 pieces of construction paper
-masking tape
-card stock
-bottle cap

Body of the Rocket

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begin making the rocket of a lifetime by choosing your preferred color of construction paper. the bigger the piece of paper, the longer your rocket.
use the air pipe you plan on launching it off of to get the perfect shape and tightness. but be careful not to wrap it too tight, or it will explode due to the pressure during the launch.

Customize and Seal

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once your tube is complete, feel free to customize it. we used masking tape to give the rocket some killer strips. be sure to then seal the top of the rocket using the bottle cap. this is to keep the air from escaping later, so seal it tight

Making the Cone

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the next step in making a successful rocket is creating the cone that will go on top. the cone will require a piece of construction paper and some masking tape. fold the paper into a cone and tape down the side and tip. a narrower cone will make a faster rocket.

Making the Fins (ft. a Spatula)

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the last piece of the rocket is making the fins. a rocket can be made with three or four fins, we chose to make three. the fins are to be cut out of card stock to ensure they are as sturdy as possible.

Rocket Construction

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with all the pieces assembled, it is now time to put your rocket together. using hot glue, attach the cone to the top of the rocket, and the fins equidistant from each other at the bottom. another option is add weight to the top of the rocket in the form of erasers. this is so if they happen to fly out of the rocket they don’t kill anyone. do this by hot gluing them to the sealed top of the rocket before adding the cone on top. we chose not to add erasers to our final rocket.

Launch Your Rocket

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congrats! you now have a finished rocket! go out to your air canon and launch it, but don’t be worried if it doesn’t work right away (our first version exploded).
if your rocket doesn’t fly, it may be due to the tube of the rocket being too loose, or the top not begin sealed. if air can escape, your rocket can’t launch.
if your rocket explodes, your tube may be too tight, or the rocket was pushed too far down on air canon.
good luck and happy launching!