I contacted Rick Schertle for the first time to thank him for publishing a couple articles in MAKE magazine that my son and I built together; the Folding Wing Glider, and the comically powerful catapult launcher for the glider. We shared with Rick how on the very first launch the tail was ripped clean off the glider, and how we were inspired to redesign the glider to launch from a compressed air rocket launcher we had built from scratch. Rick's first reaction was cool, so you built the launcher I had published in MAKE back in 2007 too? But no, we had invented our own version of the launcher, and realized that we had lots in common with the Schertles.

For more details, check out Sean's website.

The first collaboration Rick and I did was to redesign the launcher that I had built with inspiration taken from Rick's earlier design to create the Compressed Air Rocket launcher, or CAR v2.0. This was the version we launched on Kickstarter in 2014, and sold over 200 systems, and started the Air Rocket Works LLC company at the same time. Not fully satisfied with the original version, I kept tinkering, and refined the design into CAR v2.1, which we started selling through MAKE magazine's website, Maker Shed.

Listening to some customers feedback about some difficult to assemble aspects of the kit, CAR v2.2 was created. By working with our pneumatics supplier, we reduced part count, simplified assembly, improved safety, and added laser etched instructions on the parts for a far more professional appearance.

These launchers are available on our website here.

Through Maker Shed, we worked with Barnes & Noble, to start selling our launchers on the BN.com website and also in their ≈450 stores nationwide. Our garage became an assembly line, combining all the parts into boxes, adding the instructions and welcome letter, double checking, closing the box & adding the sleeve. Unfortunately, Maker Shed was nearly shuttered, and now carries little physical inventory at this time.

As mentioned elsewhere here, we have branched out from our standard launchers, and have assisted museums, such as SEE science center with an exhibit and the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, along with the custom NASA & ULA systems (details below).

We have also partnered with educators in the UK (STEAM Co.) and Australia (YMCA), who actively use our products, and they have become distributors for us. We are also starting to work with other STEAM companies, such as BetaBox, and their traveling makerspaces built into shipping containers.

This is the dual rocket launcher system I designed and built in collaboration with Ryan Leonard, an Eagle Scout from Manchester, NH as his Eagle project. Ryan and I shared the design phase using SolidWorks, and I taught him how to MIG weld the enclosure. Ryan sourced the steel and other materials, and arranged for the durable paint job. We chose the rusty red color to resemble the old NASA towers that stand at the launch pads. These specially modified rockets utilize 3D printed noses and fins, with built in wire-guides. The OD of the rockets are a close sliding fit to the pneumatic arrestors at the top of the guide wires, which uses the slight gap between the rocket and the sealed tube to decelerate the rocket, and cause a neat pause, before gravity takes over and the rocket falls backward, back onto the launch tube. The launchers are standard components, except for the guide wires and a in-line pressure regulator to keep the launches under control. Each launcher has in excess of 40,000 launches, and have not required servicing! The pumps have been rebuilt a few times, thanks to the support of Lezyne, the pump manufacturers.

Shown above are just some of the rockets you can build by assembling our standard rocket parts with 3D printed bits and other components. Left to right: the standard CARB (Compressed Air Rocket Bounce recovery), the ARG (Air Rocket Glider kit), the Lego Minifig adapter, the LED rocket for launching near dusk, and the CARP (Compressed Air Rocket Parachute recovery).

I have been trying to upload at least one free to download 3D printable accessory every month. 3D printable adapters with cameras, accelerometers and altimeters are in the works, along with a whistling rocket and modular fixed wing gliders intended to launch at slight angles & lower pressures.

Also recently offered are a 3D printable protractor to indicate the launch tube angle, a fin guide and two variations of BRB's (Bit Red Buttons) that are easier to operate for younger kids.

We hope to expand the versatility of our launchers by using the main components for other types of experiments as well, such as car races, egg launches (instead of just drops), etc.