The Viking Rocket

Introduction to Rockets (Fins):

Before we began to build the Viking Rocket, we had to understand why it was necessary to have fins on the bottom of the rocket, in order to add stability to the rocket there has to be fins. We tested a variety of number of fins to see how it effected how straight and how high up the rocket went up. The rocket was just a basic cardboard tube, that was open on both ends. We added tape on the top of the rocket to allow the rocket to be go up to go against the air pressure, instead of just going through the tube since it is open. This will allow the rocket to go higher in the air. We first put the rocket with no fins on a black tube that connected to a little machine that we would launch the rocket off of. The machine allowed up to read the pressure, but first we had to make sure that the little lever that would allow us to launch the rocket was all the way back, and once the pressure read around 60, then we could push the lever up and the rocket would go up and the stability would improve the more fins we put on the rocket and so would the height the rocket went to. You had to make sure the lever to launch the rocket was pull all the way back first and the rocket was about 2/3 the way down the black tube, in order to make sure the rocket doesn't pop off the black tube or unsuccessfully launch. We launched the rocket with 1 fin, then 2, then 4. The stability and height improved in the rocket with ever fin we added. 4 fins was the most successful launch. I learned the purpose that the fins served was primarily to add stability, and fins needed to be evenly spaced around the rocket.

Building the Viking:

In order to build the Viking rocket, we followed instructions on the estes rocket website, under the subpage instructions, and then we picked the viking rocket because it is a good rocket to begin learning how to build rockets. The pdf for the instructions can be found under this link (https://www.estesrockets.com/media/instructions/001949_VIKING.pdf). We followed this pdf step by step in order to understand how to make the viking rocket properly. We had to cut out parts of the instructions in order to use in our rocket and also had to make sure the fins were evenly spaced, and made sure we had all the materials for this project, along with that we were gluing and placing things in the rocket in the right way and time.

Changes to workflow: We did not modify a lot when building the rocket because this is our first rocket we have built and are still learning the fundamentals of rockets. We made small changes, such as the instructions state that we needed to sand down the fins, but we did not do this because when my teacher cut the fins out, he used the laser cutter and it was close to clean cuts, and the material board we used created clean edges, so sanding was not necessary except for a few fins. Also, the instructions suggest that we use 2-3 squares of burn paper, but my class used 3-4 pieces, which isn't a very big change, but we added more paper rather than less, to prevent the burning of our rocket. Also, they mentioned in the instructions to tape the streamer or parachute to the shock cord, which is the rubber band, but we actually used wood glue or glue instead of tape to connect the parachute and the shock chord for a stronger hold for a longer time, tape would have also worked here for this project as well. Finally, we spray painted our rockets to be able to tell the difference between each others rockets and add some creativity to our rockets, but the instructions did not include spray painting the rockets. Overall though, our rockets were built very similarly to the instructions, no major changes.

Materials:

• 4 cardboard fins (you could have 3 or 5 fins as well, but I believed that 4 provided good stability when we tested stability with a basic rocket)
• cardboard hollow tube
• rubber band that is not circular but just a straight line (this is called the shock cord and will be connected to the parachute and nose cone, in order to keep the parachute connected to the rocket and make the rocket come down more softly)
• nose cone
• nose cone insert (this goes at the bottom of the nose cone to be able to attack the nose cone with the shock cord)
• streamer (this will act as a parachute for this rocket, which will allow the rocker to land a little softer than without the parachute)
• yellow spacer tube (this will be used to push the engine block up to the correct space in the rocket)
• engine block (this is a little green ring, it forces the engine to not go past a certain point, or burn up the rocket too bad)
• tiny cardboard side tube (this is called the launch lug and will be used to hold the rocket on a launch stick in order to be launched)
• tiny piece of paper folded into three sections (this is on the instructions, used to glue shock cord on and glue this into rocket to hold shock cord)
• angle tracer (found on instructions, used to evenly space fins)
• sharpie or marker (in order to make marks on other materials for glue spots or measurements)
• wood glue (used to glue materials together0
• ruler (to make lines straight)
• a8 engine (smaller size, so rocket won't burn up or go to high, smaller engines are less dangerous and necessary for this type of rocket)
• burn paper (this sheets of paper, used so the rocket does not burn too bad when launched, it is tissue)
• stopper (keeps the two leg strip that launches the rocket with the engine)
• two legs strip that allows rocket to launch (connects to wires to launch rocket)
• battery and alligator clips with wires and long stick connected with launch pad (this is the contraption used to launch the rocket)
• spray paint (to color the rocket if wanted)
• scissors (to cut parts of the instructions out)

Building the Rocket Images:

Fins on rocket:

Small tube on rocket:

Putting engine block into rocket:

Parachute on shock chord and the shock chord connected to the paper and nose cone:

Finished Rocket before launch:

The Launch:

When launching the rocket, we put the small tube that was on the side of the rocket though a long metal stick that was connected to a flat piece plastic, that would be used a the launch pad, or where the rocket was set up to be launched, on the flat surface. The stick and launch pad are on top of three pvc pipes and all of the launching place is set of the ground, which is a level surface, so it will go up and not our or diagonally when launched. Then, we connected the two leg strip that is with the engine, to two alligator clips that are not connected to anything on the other side to begin, because once the alligator clips on the other sides, not connected to the rocket, the rocket will launch. It is very important that the alligator clips do not touch on either side of the alligator clips because if they touch, the rocket will not launch. Then, when the area is cleared and we were ready to launch, you touch the sides of the alligator clips that are not connected to the rocket, to opposite pegs or sides of a large battery, and the rocket launched straight up and high. When it came down, the parachute came out and the stopper and engine came out away from the rocket, and the burnt paper was burnt but no burning of the rocket. It was a successful first time building and launching our rocket.