Air powered rockets from the Northside in Make:
photo: Gabriela Hasbun/Make Magazine
San Jose Northsider Rick Shertle’s article “Compressed Air Rocket”, originally published a few months ago in Make: Magazine Volume 15, just appeared on the Make Blog, where anyone can read it. Shertle gives plans and instructions to build a launcher and rocket that can fly 200 to 300 feet, using paper, pvc pipe, and a few other parts you can get at the hardware store.
The only note of caution from some of the commenters: after the launcher is used a few times, the pvc pipe can become weaker, and eventually it might fail explosively. Be sure to wrap the pipe in duct tape as instructed in the article.
