How to Build a Airsoft Rocket Launcher

Summer is here, and I was looking for something to do with the kids. They raved about how much fun the rocket launching was at Maker Faire in San Mateo, and I wanted to bring a little fleck of that fun home. All I needed to do was build my kids the kit version of Rick Schertle's compressed air rocket launcher that was featured in MAKE Volume 15.

This is a actually piece of cake build, and the rockets go amazingly high! How high? That'south a great question that I can't reply. Why? Because the rockets went then loftier, that I could barely see them anymore. I gauge that's high enough! If you lot know a way to measure the height, let me know in the comments. I know of a few ways, just I'd like to hear your suggestions too!

Note: You can build the launcher from Rick Schertle's plans in Make Book 15. The kit includes a copy of Brand Book 15, all the electronics, and the PVC parts cut to length. All you need are a few unproblematic tools, gum, and record.

What yous need:

Record, duct or similar re-enforced
Bicycle pump
Pliers, channel-lock

Time to build: about 1-two hours

Difficulty: Like shooting fish in a barrel!

The kit from the Maker Shed has a few changes that make it more portable. I'm not going to become over every concluding particular of the build, because they are all in the magazine, simply I will encompass the changes and some of the modifications that I made to my rockets.

Allow's get started: Build the pressure chamber

Start by adding the Teflon tape to the reducer plumbing equipment and screwing information technology into the threaded PVC reducer cap. Utilise an adjustable wrench to tighten.

Adjacent, using some more Teflon tape and screw the contumely barbed fitting into the reducer fitting.Elementary!

At present it's time to start gluing the PVC parts together. We are going to add the piece we just made to the PVC tee as described in the directions.

The process is the same at every connection. First wipe the connection with primer. I chose articulate, just imperial is more common. At present add together the gum. Whatever PVC gum is OK to apply. I used "extra strength" but the standard variety is fine as well. Make sure to work fast, and give the parts a little twist during the joining process.

Now mucilage the 10″ long PVC pipe into the other end of the PVC tee equally described in the directions.

Followed by gluing on the terminate-cap to the 10″ piece of PVC.

The launching organization:

Start building the launching arrangement by wrapping Teflon record around each of the 3/4″ male person threaded 10 three/four″ female person slip PVC adapters.

Adhere each adapter to the sprinkler valve, and tighten with aqueduct-lock pliers.

Take annotation of the arrows on the sprinkler valve. On the "out" side of the valve, gum a 16″ length of PVC pipe. On the "in" side of the valve, glue a three″ length of PVC.

Now gum on the reducer skid fitting on the top of the PVC tee connector every bit described in the directions.

Followed by gluing on the sprinkler valve assembly you lot just made.

Edifice the improved stand:

The kit has a stand up that is different than described in MAKE Volume 15. It'southward more portable, and easier to build. Start past measuring vi i/2″ from each side of the include sixteen″ lengths of PVC pipes. Next drill 1/8″ holes completely through the PVC pipes at those locations.

At present overstate the holes with a i/2″ bit, but but on one side of the PVC (this is at present the "top side"). Do non drill all the way through!

Feed 1 terminate of the included null-ties into one of the one/two holes. Next, utilise a small screwdriver inserted into the back of the PVC pipage and push the zip-necktie upwards into the other 1/2 hole you just drilled. Sound complicated? It's not!

Don't adhere the legs yet! We accept to wrap the air chamber in duct record first. Nosotros'll do that in a bit.

Edifice the electronics

Let'south showtime past edifice the launch handle. Information technology houses the electronics and allows you lot to fire information technology from a safety distance. Get-go, drill an ane/8″ hole in ane of the PVC cease caps, and a one/2″ hole in the other end cap.

Solder the (2) supplied wires to the button. I added some heat-shrink tubing for added security.

Add together the button to the stop cap with the 1/ii″ hole. Information technology's a little tricky to screw in the retaining nut since it'southward a tight squeeze.

Now feed the wires through the 4″ section PVC piping. I added a small nut to the wires. It makes it hard to pull the wires out of the handle. But loop the wires around 2-3 times about 1″ from the end of the PVC pipe. Next, feed the wires through the other terminate-cap. No need to glue any of these pieces.

To make the wires wait neat, I clamped them in a drill and twisted them together. You can do this past hand, but the drill makes fast work of it.

ane-ii seconds afterward and I have a nice length of twisted wire! The controller is washed. At present lets mover on to the power supply.

Building the power supply

The power supply is fairly straightforward. Start by soldering (1) red wire from the bombardment prune to (1) black wire of the another bombardment clip. I cut my wires a little brusque and used some heat-shrink tubing for added security.

Next, solder (1) of the remaining wires from the batter clips to (one) wire of the launch controller. The remaining bombardment prune wire is soldered to (1) wire of the sprinkler valve. The concluding connexion is fabricated by soldering the remaining sprinkler valve wire to the remaining launch controller wire. It may sound tricky, but it's a actually uncomplicated excursion. Check out the instructions for more details.

Building the air supply connections

The start thing you need to do is remove the rubber housing from the air valve.

I found that using (2) pairs of pliers and rotating them around the valve stalk made the prophylactic come up correct off. Easy!

Place the included crimp on one end of the tube, along with the valve stalk, and crimp the "ears". This makes a very strong connection.

The other end gets attached to the launcher and is held in place with a zip-tie.

Wrapping up the air bedchamber

Yous should wrap the air sleeping accommodation in duct record. The PVC is under a lot of pressure, and in the even of a failure, the tape will help incorporate the parts.

You can find duct tape in many unlike colors now. I saw rainbow, camouflage, and even blossom patterns. In the end I chose a nice medium blue. Wrap everything in at least three layers of tape.

Finishing upward

Now we can add together the legs to the launcher. All y'all need to exercise is nix-necktie them on.

The concluding footstep is attaching the (2) 9 Volt batteries. Tidy up the wires and zip tie them to the vertical section of the launcher, and you're all ready to get! Wait! Y'all need to make some rockets!

Making the rockets

My kids wanted to colour the rocket templates. The instructions tell you to apply masking record for the rockets. Withal, you can also utilize clear packing record, which allows the colors to show through. Fun!

Beginning by coloring in the included rocket templates, followed by cut them out on the black lines.

Follow the instructions for building the paper rockets, substituting clear packing tape for masking record. There are (3) pieces of PVC tubing in the kit that are used for building rockets. This allows (3) people to build rockets at a fourth dimension. When you are all done, you should take a swell looking rocket all gear up for blast off.

Launching!

Place the rocket on the launcher, and pump up the air chamber to 60-75 psi. So get ready for the count downwardly…3…2…1…blastoff!

Note: Be safe. Stay clear of the rocket launcher when pressurized, and always wearable safety spectacles.

I took some video of the launch, merely the rockets are so fast, go ridiculously high, and it was then too bright out to go any adept video. However, this gave me a peachy idea. Make a rocket out of vellum and put some LED's in the nose cone for dark launches. I programme on doing that this weekend, and I'll post upwards some video if it comes out!

Cheque out my entire flicker photo fix here. Don't forget you tin make yous own air rocket from plans in Make Volume 15, or selection up Rick Schertle's Air Rocket Kit from the Maker Shed.

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