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How to Make a Homemade Bottle Rocket Launcher

Bottle Rockets are rockets made from plastic bottles and are launched through the use of pressurized air through a pipe or stand. They are used for recreational purposes and are a nice, safe backyard toy for you or your children. Making a bottle rocket is quite simple as long as you have the necessary tools. Once you have your bottle rocket launcher, you can launch just about any size of bottle into the air at a height and rate determined by how much air you apply.

Things You'll Need

PVC pipe, one inch in diameter
High capacity air pump with hose
Duct tape
Shop glue
Block of wood

Instructions

- 1
  Get a piece of PVC pipe about one inch in diameter and no more than two yards long. This will be the main structure that you use. It should be curved upwards on at least one of its sides which is where the bottle would rest. The other end can be curved or straight. Make sure the pipe does not have any cracks or holes in it that would prevent a good launch.
- 2
  Attach the end of the hose of a high-capacity air pump to the end of the PVC pipe. If only one end is curved, attach the hose to the non-curved end. This will be the source of air that will launch the bottle. Use duct tape to secure it in place so that no air will get out of the edges. Make sure that when you pump the air, all of it is forced out of the opposite end of the pipe.
- 3
  Secure the pipe to a stand of some kind. You could just glue it to a block of wood so that the curved end is facing directly up. The stand does not need to be very intricate as long as it keeps the pipe in place and the curved end facing up to support the bottle when it gets attached.
- 4
  Slide the bottle onto the PVC pipe end that is facing up. Make sure that it is tightly in the pipe so that little air can escape. If you need to, hammer the bottle down lightly on the end of the pipe for a snug fit. Pump the air hose in long, deep pumps to fill the bottle. After these initial pumps, try to squeeze on the bottle. If it feels full, your next pumps will send it into the air. If it is still relatively empty, pump it a few more times in long, deep pumps. Once the bottle is filled, Use shorter, quicker pumps to blast it off. How full the bottle was will dictate how high it goes. Experiment to find the launch technique that best works for you.

Backyard Toys