Bottle Rocket Launcher

[throwaway]

Hi does anyone know what type of launcher Scioly uses to launch the rockets? I tried searching online, but all I could find was something similar called the aqua pod which uses water and is used for 2 liter bottles. Does anybody have a link or product name I could search to buy a launcher?

[CookiePie1]

Hi does anyone know what type of launcher Scioly uses to launch the rockets? I tried searching online, but all I could find was something similar called the aqua pod which uses water and is used for 2 liter bottles. Does anybody have a link or product name I could search to buy a launcher?

well, NJ states actually uses the aquapod launcher. However I think the "standard" or most widely used one is the Nerds Inc Model Z launcher. https://www.nerdsinc.com/products/model-z

[builderguy135]

Hi does anyone know what type of launcher Scioly uses to launch the rockets? I tried searching online, but all I could find was something similar called the aqua pod which uses water and is used for 2 liter bottles. Does anybody have a link or product name I could search to buy a launcher?

well, NJ states actually uses the aquapod launcher. However I think the "standard" or most widely used one is the Nerds Inc Model Z launcher. https://www.nerdsinc.com/products/model-z

is it just me, or are the aquapod launchers "weaker" than the model zs?

[CookiePie1]

Hi does anyone know what type of launcher Scioly uses to launch the rockets? I tried searching online, but all I could find was something similar called the aqua pod which uses water and is used for 2 liter bottles. Does anybody have a link or product name I could search to buy a launcher?

well, NJ states actually uses the aquapod launcher. However I think the "standard" or most widely used one is the Nerds Inc Model Z launcher. https://www.nerdsinc.com/products/model-z

is it just me, or are the aquapod launchers "weaker" than the model zs?

Yeah, correction, NJ uses the aquaPORT II, not the aquapod.

idk, they both seem to be pretty high quality. In terms of price, the Aquaport II (used in NJ) is ridiculous. $235? that's crazy. But to me, the nerds inc one is very nicely built and compact. That's the one i'd prefer, but our school is kinda broke so we just have some random leaky ziptie launcher. lmao it doesn't hold pressure above 40 or so psi. maybe next year or during the summer we can invest in a model z.

[builderguy135]

well, NJ states actually uses the aquapod launcher. However I think the "standard" or most widely used one is the Nerds Inc Model Z launcher. https://www.nerdsinc.com/products/model-z

is it just me, or are the aquapod launchers "weaker" than the model zs?

Yeah, correction, NJ uses the aquaPORT II, not the aquapod.

idk, they both seem to be pretty high quality. In terms of price, the Aquaport II (used in NJ) is ridiculous. $235? that's crazy. But to me, the nerds inc one is very nicely built and compact. That's the one i'd prefer, but our school is kinda broke so we just have some random leaky ziptie launcher. lmao it doesn't hold pressure above 40 or so psi. maybe next year or during the summer we can invest in a model z.

Whoops, meant the aquaport ii lol.

[Wolf865]

The one I saw them using was the one with the short white dome with the metal stub w/ o-rings. Have a competition this Saturday, can let you know if they use something different.

[Wolf865]

As for a launcher I just built 3 of them from scratch for around $30 each and that included a built in pressure gauge. I’m sure there are better ones out there but these are working great for us. Plans are on YouTube now, you can search for it under "pingponglauncher" or Wolf865. You can take it apart for easy transport and storage. Has an adjustable slide in case you need to change tension on the bottle ring. Pressurizes only the launch tube, not the base. Easier way to create the bulge in the tube using your cooktop. There are some improvements to it that I haven’t posted yet. Changed over to using zip ties to spring load the cylinder that locks the rocket onto the tube and better way to attach the pressure gauge. Will try to get those edited in soon. Not that familiar with creating info videos so at mercy of my teenage sons availability.

[Wolf865]

Also going to check into using water hose quick connects to make it easier to break the tower into 2 pieces for breakdown/assembly. Right now it requires tools to take apart the upper/lower tower sections and want to get away from that.

[Wolf865]

Went to the regionals yesterday. The launcher they were using was fabricated out of aluminum, a little bigger than a big box of matches, open on both ends and it had a sliding lid with a U-shape cut out of one end to slide around the bottle ring. The pressure post was fabricated pretty much like one I saw at an invitation. It consisted of a short beveled metal post with 3 o-rings on the upper half. The sliding lid was what kept the rocket on the launcher while pressurizing. Interestingly enough, for whatever reason a lot of the rockets would not come off the post when they were released! They tried lubricating the rings and post but it was still hit/miss as to whether a rocket would launch. Same launcher they used last year without any problems? The refs finally resorted to borrowing mine in order to get the testing done.

[Wolf865]

Very similar to the Nerds $225 model but appeared to have been fabricated in house with extra o-rings.