Building our rocket:
Planning stage:
1. Rocket body and fins (Ashleigh): Ashleigh cut 4 peices of balsa wood, making each piece 11 inch by 3 millimeter. After cutting the body, she took a piece of balsa wood to make the fins that were cut into a 3 inch by 3 inch square.
2. Gluing (Miles): After Ashleigh cut the wood, I glued the 4 pieces of balsa wood together to form the body. Before I put the fins on, Kim took sand paper and smoothed out the rough edges on the body. After that I glued the fins onto the body of the rocket.
3. Sanding (Kim): After I glued the pieces together Kim went outside and sanded the body of the rocket into more of a round shape instead of the rectangular shape that it was.
4. Cutting Engine Mount (Ashleigh): After putting together our rocket we built a mount to stick inside the rocket, to stop the fuel from blowing up our rocket. Ashleigh cut a piece of balsa wood small enough to fit inside the rocket, and have it wedged in.
5. Gluing Engine Mount (Kim): Kim put in the engine mount just above the top of the fins so it could hold our rockets engine. Putting the engine mount in took many trys but we finally got it.
6. Staples (Kim): Kim took two staples and shaped the staples to be round, after doing so Kim placed the staples about 1-2 inches above the fins on the body of the rocket. Doing so allows the rocket to be guided by the launch pad.
7. Rocket Point (Miles): Miles went and took a pipette and cut the top of the pipette where the point part was left. He then placed it on top of the rocket point so that the point of the rocket wouldn't be damaged after hitting the ground.
Planning stage:
1. Rocket body and fins (Ashleigh): Ashleigh cut 4 peices of balsa wood, making each piece 11 inch by 3 millimeter. After cutting the body, she took a piece of balsa wood to make the fins that were cut into a 3 inch by 3 inch square.
2. Gluing (Miles): After Ashleigh cut the wood, I glued the 4 pieces of balsa wood together to form the body. Before I put the fins on, Kim took sand paper and smoothed out the rough edges on the body. After that I glued the fins onto the body of the rocket.
3. Sanding (Kim): After I glued the pieces together Kim went outside and sanded the body of the rocket into more of a round shape instead of the rectangular shape that it was.
4. Cutting Engine Mount (Ashleigh): After putting together our rocket we built a mount to stick inside the rocket, to stop the fuel from blowing up our rocket. Ashleigh cut a piece of balsa wood small enough to fit inside the rocket, and have it wedged in.
5. Gluing Engine Mount (Kim): Kim put in the engine mount just above the top of the fins so it could hold our rockets engine. Putting the engine mount in took many trys but we finally got it.
6. Staples (Kim): Kim took two staples and shaped the staples to be round, after doing so Kim placed the staples about 1-2 inches above the fins on the body of the rocket. Doing so allows the rocket to be guided by the launch pad.
7. Rocket Point (Miles): Miles went and took a pipette and cut the top of the pipette where the point part was left. He then placed it on top of the rocket point so that the point of the rocket wouldn't be damaged after hitting the ground.
Building our motor machine:
To make our motor we took a peice of paper that was four inches by four inches, enough to hold the fuel but still fit into our rocket. We then put our rocket motor into the Motor Machine that we would be able to make our motor.
We then rolled aluminum foil about four inches long and wide and twe pushed it into the bottom of the motor. We did this because it created only one way for the energy from the fuel to go, making our rocket fly.
After adding the top we added a Postasium Nitraite and Powdered sugar mixture to act as our fuel. We pushed the fuel down to get rid of any air in the motor to make sure that the motor doesn't burn too slow.
After adding the fuel we got a nail with a washer and a nut that would help us make room for the fuse. We wanted to make a core inside the rocket so the fuel would burn quicker. We then got a piece of aluminum foil and rolled it tightly around the nail.
Then we took the nail and put it right in the middle of the motor and pushed down on the washer. We took a peice of wood with a hole in the middle to fit the nail to help us push down the washer so we could make a good gap to put the fuse in.
Then we got a small piece of fuse and placed it into the core of the motor and closed off the top so that it made a nozzle.
We then went outside to try the motor out. We have to test the motors before using them on our rockets because we don't want the motor to blow up and it destroy our rocket. The fuel inside was burning at about 1500 degrees Celsius. So after launching it we have to go and find it, since the motor is still hot enough to start a fire.
We then rolled aluminum foil about four inches long and wide and twe pushed it into the bottom of the motor. We did this because it created only one way for the energy from the fuel to go, making our rocket fly.
After adding the top we added a Postasium Nitraite and Powdered sugar mixture to act as our fuel. We pushed the fuel down to get rid of any air in the motor to make sure that the motor doesn't burn too slow.
After adding the fuel we got a nail with a washer and a nut that would help us make room for the fuse. We wanted to make a core inside the rocket so the fuel would burn quicker. We then got a piece of aluminum foil and rolled it tightly around the nail.
Then we took the nail and put it right in the middle of the motor and pushed down on the washer. We took a peice of wood with a hole in the middle to fit the nail to help us push down the washer so we could make a good gap to put the fuse in.
Then we got a small piece of fuse and placed it into the core of the motor and closed off the top so that it made a nozzle.
We then went outside to try the motor out. We have to test the motors before using them on our rockets because we don't want the motor to blow up and it destroy our rocket. The fuel inside was burning at about 1500 degrees Celsius. So after launching it we have to go and find it, since the motor is still hot enough to start a fire.
Reflection:
What were your expectations?
I expected our rocket not to fly as high as it did the first time, I thought the first time somthing would have been wrong with the motor or the rocket and it ether wouldn't launch or wouldn't go very far. But unlike what I expected the rocket worked out fine the first time and flew a lot higher than I though it would
What worked?
Our rocket was fine when it came to the design and the weight of the rocket. Making our motors for the rockets worked out and our rocket didn't explode like other rockets did.
What didn’t work?
Our rocket was bigger than we wanted it to be so we had to put in extra balsa wood in the rocket so it could hold our motor. Also during our first flight one of the wings came off.
What did you learn or are your take aways for rocket design and construction from this experience?
I learned a little about rocket science and about rocket fuel. I learned that rocket fuel can change a flight of a rocket significatly just by changing one step in making the rocket fuel.
What is important for building rockets?
Making sure that your rocket is balanced, otherwise it won't fly straight. It's also important to be careful with the rocket fuel and motors, they are very hot and can cause fires.
If you had to do this again, would you do anything differently next time?
Yes, I would test my rocket more than two times. I would make sure everything I glued on is firmly in place. I would also try out diffrent fuel with my rocket to see what works and what doesn't work.
I expected our rocket not to fly as high as it did the first time, I thought the first time somthing would have been wrong with the motor or the rocket and it ether wouldn't launch or wouldn't go very far. But unlike what I expected the rocket worked out fine the first time and flew a lot higher than I though it would
What worked?
Our rocket was fine when it came to the design and the weight of the rocket. Making our motors for the rockets worked out and our rocket didn't explode like other rockets did.
What didn’t work?
Our rocket was bigger than we wanted it to be so we had to put in extra balsa wood in the rocket so it could hold our motor. Also during our first flight one of the wings came off.
What did you learn or are your take aways for rocket design and construction from this experience?
I learned a little about rocket science and about rocket fuel. I learned that rocket fuel can change a flight of a rocket significatly just by changing one step in making the rocket fuel.
What is important for building rockets?
Making sure that your rocket is balanced, otherwise it won't fly straight. It's also important to be careful with the rocket fuel and motors, they are very hot and can cause fires.
If you had to do this again, would you do anything differently next time?
Yes, I would test my rocket more than two times. I would make sure everything I glued on is firmly in place. I would also try out diffrent fuel with my rocket to see what works and what doesn't work.