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How to Make a Soda Bottle Rocket Launcher

Many people remember making a homemade rocket launcher out of a soda bottle when they were kids. Soda bottle rocket launchers make for a great DIY project, as they are easy to construct and are extremely fun to use. Perhaps the greatest thing about this project is that it can be completed using little more than a few household items. Anything that you do not have at home can easily be purchased at a hardware store for a minimal cost.

Things You'll Need

6 feet of .5-inch PVC pipe
1 tee plumbing connector
1 elbow plumbing connector
2 end cap plumbing connector
2 male-thread adapters
1 valve stem
Barge cement
PVC pipe glue
Electrical tape
Plastic soda bottles
Bicycle pump w/ hose
Pocket knife

Instructions

Construction
- 1
  Cut PVC pipe into four pieces; 1 foot, 1 foot, 3 foot and 4 foot. Using pocket knife, fashion a hole in one of your end caps. Thread the valve stem through the hole and use the cement to secure it in place.
- 2
  Glue the 1-foot pieces of PVC together with your PVC glue with the tee in the center. The result should be a 2-foot bar. On each end, use glue to secure an end cap, screwing a thread adapter into the tee's base.
- 3
  Use your PVC glue to secure the 3-foot piece of PVC into the elbow joint. Take your 4-foot PVC and glue it into the other side of the elbow. Attach the second thread adapter to the end of the PVC.
- 4
  Glue the piece of PVC (with elbow attached) into the thread adapter connected to the tee. The pipe should stick straight up when placed on a flat surface. Allow the glue to set.
- 5
  Take your electrical tape and secure each joint firmly. Wrap a piece of tape around each exposed thread, as this will allow for strong friction when the soda bottle is attached.
Use
- 6
  Lay the pipe flat on the ground and connect your bicycle pump to the valve stem. Ensure that the short portion of pipe is sticking straight up, as this will hold your bottle rocket.
- 7
  Fill soda bottle with water. Aim to fill approximately 1/4 to 1/2 of the bottle.
- 8
  Quickly attach the bottle to the male end of the short pipe by screwing it onto the threads. Ensure that you don't spill a great deal of water during the connection process.
- 9
  Begin pumping the bicycle pump. As pressure builds up, the bottle will prepare for launch. The soda bottle should launch when approximately 30 PSI (pounds per square inch) of pressure are reached.

Aviation