Bottle Rocket Handbook: Columbus High School Science Olympiad
Bottle Rocket Handbook
Leo C. Singleton IV
ii
Copyright c 2001 Leo C. Singleton IV. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author.
Acknowledgments
Although I can take credit for being the author of this handbook, much of its content is the hard work of other members, past and present, of the Columbus High School Science Olympiad team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and the many others for their contributions to this handbook. Will Evans, the only one among us who actually plans to become an aeronautical engineer, is responsible for many of the building techniques listed in the handbook. He protected …show more content…
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
41 42 42 42 43 44 45 45 46 47 47 49 49 53 53 53 54
6 Fins 6.1 Single-Ply Fins . . . . . . 6.1.1 Fin Patterns . . . 6.1.2 Constructing . . . 6.1.3 Breaking Point . . 6.2 Reinforced Balsa Fins . . 6.3 Other Materials . . . . . . 6.4 Attaching Fins to Rockets 6.5 Extra Reinforcement . . .
7 Parachutes 7.1 Dome Parachutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2 Elliptical Parachutes . . . . . . . . . . 7.3 Constructing a Panel . . . . . . . . . . 7.4 Methods of Construction . . . . . . . . 7.4.1 Glue or Tape . . . . . . . . . . 7.4.2 Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.4.3 Soldering Iron or Woodburner .
CONTENTS 7.5
vii
Shroud Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 57 58 60 61 61 63 64 64 67 67 67 68 68 …show more content…
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 12.2 Angle Repetition Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 13 Simulators 13.1 Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.2 Constants, Variables, and Functions 13.3 Acceleration, Velocity, and Height . 13.4 Computer Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 90 91 91 92
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CONTENTS 13.5 Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.5.1 Launch Rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.5.2 Pressurized Bottle, Water, and Air . 13.5.3 Preliminary Propulsive Calculations 13.5.4 Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.5.5 Air and Atmosphere . . . . . . . . . 13.5.6 Parachute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6 Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.1 Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.2 Launch Rod Reaction Force . . . . . 13.6.3 Wind Resistance . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.4 Propulsive Forces . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.5 Air Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.6 Parachute Drag . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.7 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 94 96 97 98 98 101 102 102 102 103 103 108 108 109 111 113 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Leo C. Singleton IV
ii
Copyright c 2001 Leo C. Singleton IV. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author.
Acknowledgments
Although I can take credit for being the author of this handbook, much of its content is the hard work of other members, past and present, of the Columbus High School Science Olympiad team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and the many others for their contributions to this handbook. Will Evans, the only one among us who actually plans to become an aeronautical engineer, is responsible for many of the building techniques listed in the handbook. He protected …show more content…
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
41 42 42 42 43 44 45 45 46 47 47 49 49 53 53 53 54
6 Fins 6.1 Single-Ply Fins . . . . . . 6.1.1 Fin Patterns . . . 6.1.2 Constructing . . . 6.1.3 Breaking Point . . 6.2 Reinforced Balsa Fins . . 6.3 Other Materials . . . . . . 6.4 Attaching Fins to Rockets 6.5 Extra Reinforcement . . .
7 Parachutes 7.1 Dome Parachutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2 Elliptical Parachutes . . . . . . . . . . 7.3 Constructing a Panel . . . . . . . . . . 7.4 Methods of Construction . . . . . . . . 7.4.1 Glue or Tape . . . . . . . . . . 7.4.2 Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.4.3 Soldering Iron or Woodburner .
CONTENTS 7.5
vii
Shroud Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 57 58 60 61 61 63 64 64 67 67 67 68 68 …show more content…
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 12.2 Angle Repetition Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 13 Simulators 13.1 Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.2 Constants, Variables, and Functions 13.3 Acceleration, Velocity, and Height . 13.4 Computer Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 90 91 91 92
viii
CONTENTS 13.5 Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.5.1 Launch Rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.5.2 Pressurized Bottle, Water, and Air . 13.5.3 Preliminary Propulsive Calculations 13.5.4 Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.5.5 Air and Atmosphere . . . . . . . . . 13.5.6 Parachute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6 Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.1 Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.2 Launch Rod Reaction Force . . . . . 13.6.3 Wind Resistance . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.4 Propulsive Forces . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.5 Air Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6.6 Parachute Drag . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.7 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 94 96 97 98 98 101 102 102 102 103 103 108 108 109 111 113 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .