Introduction: DIY Paper Rocket

About: I'm an certified armature astronomer and a non professional robotics learner

Paper Rockets are DIY fling rockets that used air as fuel. You can make this with minimal material you can find at your home.

Step 1: Materials Required

You will need the following material:

- 2x PVC pipes of outer radius 1cm

- Flexible Plastic tube of inner radius 1 cm

- 1x A4 sheet of any color (they should not be thin)

- 1x Thick Paper Sheet

- 1x small ball of cotton

- Tape - Stapler

- 1x 2 litre empty plastic bottle

- Adhesive

Step 2: 'Fuel' Line

For a rocket to take off, it needs fuel. In this case we will be using air as our fuel. Moreover, the fuel will not be ON the rocket.
Start by connecting the 2 PVC's to the 2 ends of the tube. Now, take the empty bottle. Uncap it and make sure it's not crushed. Now insert one end of the PVC of one side completely into the bottle.

Step 3: Rocket - Body

To start making the Rocket,vertically wrap one of the A4 sheets around the other PVC. If the PVC is longer than the paper, cut off 3cm more than the portion coming out. Once you wrap it, hold it together by sticking it with a tape strip.

Step 4: Rocket - Nose Cone

NOSE CONE:-

-To make the nose cone of the rocket, cut one circle of radius 3 cm.

-Now cut one line along the radius. make another one of these such that the angle between them is 130 degrees.

- Cut the portion left out and tape all of it in place. You can even staple it for strength.

- Turn it up side down in such a way that you can see the hollow portion under it.

- Take the small cotton ball and paste it in the hollow gap with Adhesive.

-Now tape the finished Nose cone to cylindrical body. Make sure that it is not loose.

Step 5: Rocket - Fins

FINS:-

Fins provide stability to the rocket.

-Cut 3 squares of 6x6 cm and fold once along any ONE diagonal.

-Cut a line along the diagonal of 1 cm from both the sides.

-Fold back wards the cut portion and paste it near the other edge of the rocket (bottom edge) at the difference of 120 degrees between each of the.

Step 6: LIFT OFF

Before you go ahead and use this rocket, ensure the no one is within 3 feet as that is the time it is the most dangerous. Also, keep in mind that the rocket must always be used OUTDOORS. Now follow the following instructions for a successful launch:-

-Put the assembled rocket on one of the PVC pipes and an uncrushed, empty 2 litre bottle on the other.

- You need 2 people to use this, the first will hold the pipe at 45 degrees from the ground. The other person is supposed to jump on the bottle.

-AFTER USE: once a bottle is used it can either be discarded, or you can re-inflate it to use again.

(optional) You can use pressurized air pump instead of the bottle.

The empty bottle, when compressed pushes the air to the rocket forward at such a pressure that it lifts off.