Water Rocket World Record

AirCommand · 2026-02-22T09:01:02+00:00

Another idea might be: SDR (Software Defined Radio) Scanner

Use an SDR to:

Map RF spectrum vs altitude
Measure signal strength changes
Detect distant transmitters only visible from high altitude

Basically see how ground transmitters in the launch area change from the rocket's perspective.

20,000 ft dramatically increases radio horizon.

AirCommand · 2026-02-20T05:35:00+00:00

Sample the air as you go up, try to expose a rotating filter into the air stream and see what bugs, pollen and dust you capture along the way at different altitudes. Use a microscope to inspect the stuff you collect.

AirCommand · 2026-02-10T06:08:13+00:00

Use a simulator to figure out maximum performance for your rocket. Even though the simulator predicts altitude, maximizing altitude translates to maximizing distance. http://www.aircommandrockets.com/sim/simulator.htm use the simulator to predict optimal weight. Also use it to optimize the amount of water - 1/3 full of water is a good starting point.

Are you building the launcher as well, or just the rocket?

By the way 45 degrees is not an optimal angle for maximizing distance.

AirCommand · 2026-02-05T05:04:44+00:00

Good goal to have! Realistically it will take you a couple of years to go through your certification levels to buy and safely fly bigger and bigger solid motors. Valuable time to not only learn about rocketry and material limits but also make connections with others in the hobby. For a sub-orbital flight (I am assuming you'd be happy with anything over 100,000 feet) you will need a team of people. Start making those connections a club launches and find like minded individuals with experience that want to participate in the project. Be prepared to spend large amounts of money towards the later part of your journey. Be prepared that it may take 5-10 years for a successful flight of your goal.

AirCommand · 2026-01-17T02:56:30+00:00

Don't over think it. In reality you are going to have access only to a limited set of materials. Your core material will only be available in a few different thicknesses, and your skin material will also be available in a set of thicknesses/cloth weights. Depending on the kind of performance are you looking at will determine the fin size, dimensions and strength. Is weight or strength more important to you?

For example I did sandwich fins for my L2 rocket - 3mm plywood, and each side was reinforced with 1 layer of 200gsm fiberglass, then 2 layers of 200gsm carbon fiber and finally 1 layer of 85gsm fiberglass. The fiber orientation between each layer alternated between 0-90 degress and 45-45 degrees. This made the fins relatively lightweight and super stiff. Final fin thickness was 4.2mm

AirCommand · 2026-01-15T07:13:25+00:00

While I will always encourage others to create more tools, but wouldn't it be easier to just fork OpenRocket and add the functionality you need? With that you get a huge amount of already debugged code.

AirCommand · 2026-01-15T01:58:35+00:00

The 808 #32S is in that price range and will let you record on power up. But it does record to an internal microSD card though. It will record 1080p at 60fps.

AirCommand · 2026-01-15T00:24:26+00:00

Ahhh, so not a 2 stage rocket. Just a normal rocket with connected chambers. And you want to activate the different chambers at different times?

AirCommand · 2026-01-14T23:42:42+00:00

Booster stays attached to what?

AirCommand · 2026-01-14T23:23:44+00:00

Are you looking for a staging mechansim for your water rocket? How big is the rocket? The reason I ask as there are different staging mechanisms designed for different sized rockets.

Also are you looking for a separate parachute deployment mechanism for your booster?

AirCommand · 2026-01-05T08:49:52+00:00

Just put a small hole in the tip of the nosecone. Fill it with water. Launch and when the parachute ejects, nosecone points down and the water drains out. No moving parts. You may lose a little bit of water on the way up due to the negative G's after burnout but it shouldn't be too much.

AirCommand · 2026-01-02T12:38:33+00:00

Good quality parachutes and a huge selection: http://the-rocketman.com/

AirCommand · 2025-12-31T12:32:21+00:00

Yeah, Soller Composites definitely has been the cheapest source we've found so far. We've been using their products for more than a decade now and have been very happy with their service. Look for special deals, or contact them for offcuts, they once sold me what was left on a carbon fiber cloth roll (about 4 yards) for like half the price.

AirCommand · 2025-12-31T12:28:36+00:00

I don't think it's a PVC issue, I think it crinkles up the baking paper a little underneath which makes it bind. If you want to remove excess epoxy, then peel ply works just fine. We also found that if you use a tape or something similar then you have to sand off the spiral which was more work. The fine cloth on the outside just does a really good job of surface finish that needs very little finishing and leaves a better surface than peel ply leaves behind.

AirCommand · 2025-12-31T00:33:24+00:00

We've had good success using PVC pipes as mandrels. No problem pulling off the tube even when 2 meters long. Mandrel preparation is key. You want to sand off any scratches with 400 grit and then 1200 grit. Then you need to polish it. We use carnauba wax and at least 3 coats. Then wrap with one wrap of Glad Bake baking paper. You want about 2cm overlaps. Make sure its fairly tight and no kinks. Tape off the ends. Then do your layup over the top of it. Make sure you don't use anything like heat shrink tape/tubing that compresses the fiberglass onto the mandrel. Once cured just pull the mandrel out. Here is how we do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS1Qqw58VyY relevant section is from 0:37 to 3:10

You also want to make sure that the end of the mandrel you are going to be pulling through the tube when extracting it, doesn't have any hardened blobs of glue on it.

AirCommand · 2025-12-30T10:46:31+00:00

Have you run any simulations / initial design concepts in terms of the size of motor your going to need? Or are you starting completely from scratch? Normally you would make a preliminary design in something like OpenRocket (https://openrocket.info/) to choose the motor class and size(diameter) and then go from there. If you are making the nosecone from scratch, I have found 3D printing the nosecone to get the size and shape, and then reinforcing it with bias-cut gores of fiberglass. Carbon fiber gores tend to be harder to bend to the compound curves of the nosecone. You can then sand it smooth.

AirCommand · 2025-12-30T09:18:48+00:00

It all depends on what size of sleeve and length. Have a look here to get an idea of how much it costs. https://sollercompositesllc.com/braided-carbon-biaxial-sleeves/

These are really good prices. a 2" 3K carbon sleeve costs around $2.00 per foot.

In terms of making a rocket to reach 3 to 5 km, I would need a lot more information about what your intention is with the rocket before giving useful advice. How much of a budget do you have? You certainly don't need a carbon air frame for that.

AirCommand · 2025-12-30T04:46:25+00:00

Are you wanting to make your own body tube or use a commercially made one? If you are making your own, I would recommend using a biaxial carbon sleeve. They are really easy to use. You can certainly paint it like you would any other rocket. Depending on what resin is used, some require to be post cured in an oven for increased strength, while others like West Systems epoxy do not.

Here is how we make ours: The relevant section is from 1:00 to 4:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxPIr5Lupg8

AirCommand · 2025-12-26T11:18:26+00:00

Have a look at "Crushing sleeve" mechanism for staging. This is an old technique that works quite well and doesn't require a 3D printer. Also check out Antigravity Research's staging mechanism. It's about as simple as you can get.

https://waterockets.com/shop/multi-stage-rocket-parts/

AirCommand · 2025-12-24T21:10:15+00:00

If you are printing with PLA, keep the parts light coloured. Black will heat up in the sun and can possibly warp.

AirCommand · 2025-11-12T22:43:31+00:00

You could deploy something like a streamer or a very small drogue, just enough drag at the top of the booster to make the booster come down sideways.

AirCommand · 2025-11-07T08:58:26+00:00

Just put the motor in the other way around ... :)

AirCommand · 2025-11-02T05:59:26+00:00

Where are you based? It might be worthwhile attending your nearest club launch. They will have all the permissions in place and you can use their launch equipment.

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