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Construction & Tutorials
- Water Rocket Construction
  - Axial Deploy System
    The objective of this tutorial is to demonstrate how to build a completely new type of parachute recovery system for water rockets. This system was developed to fill the need for a reliable parachute recovery system that could be made from common materials which was very easy and fast to make. Historically, ease of assembly and reliability have been mutually exclusive goals. This prompted U.S. Water Rockets to take a "clean slate" approach to the problem. This tutorial will explain how to construct the latest version of the U.S. Water Rockets Axial Parachute Recovery System.
  - Parachute
    A strong and reliable parachute design is very important to anyone wishing to develop a water rocket with a recovery system. Any system from a simple Air Flap mechanism to the sophisticated ServoChron(tm) electronic deploy system relies on a well made parachute. This tutorial will reveal the secrets to easily making a parachute that will safely recover your water rockets.
  - Bottle Splicing
    In order to create larger Water Rockets with bigger pressure chambers than afforded by typical soft drink bottles, many enthusiasts have resorted to joining multiple bottles together using various methods which all are commonly referred to as "splicing". This tutorial will show you how to use this new method to create perfect splices that are easier to create and outperform traditional splices in both strength and appearance.
  - Bottle Coupler
    This tutorial will show a method for creating inter-bottle connectors which can be used to join together multiple bottles by the threaded necks. These bottle connectors are useful for Water Rockets because they allow for a modular approach to be applied to your rocket design, which simplifies construction and repair of a damaged rocket.
  - Bottle Cutting
    Nearly every water rocket design that you can construct will involve some sort of bottle cutting. This tutorial will show you an easy method for getting perfect cuts every time.
  - Constructing Removable Box Fins
    One set of Water Rocket components which are critical to a successful and stable flight are the fins. U.S. Water Rockets designed and tested a new idea for creating water rocket fins which is called the "Box Fin" design, to create a quick and easy method for adding fins to Water Rockets which were much more rugged than typical fins, yet easier to fabricate with a higher degree of accuracy. This tutorial will explain how to create a triple box fin for a water rocket.
  - Enhancing Removable Box Fins
    The first improvement we will make is to modify the fin design so that it is adjustable to fit multiple bottle diameters. The next improvement we will make is to alter the attachment method for the fins. If you fly in an area prone to landing in trees, you can modify the design so that it will break away from the rocket with less force.
  - Nosecone
    One of the most important components you will build for your water rocket is the nosecone. This tutorial will explain how to build a good looking nosecone that performs great too.
  - Corriflute Recycling
    A relatively new building material used in the construction of water rockets is a corrugated plastic sheet or corriboard. It is also known under the tradenames of Corriflute, Coroplast, IntePro, Correx, Twinplast, or Corflute. This tutorial explains how to repurpose used corriflute for your water rockets.
  - Bottle Label Removal
    This tutorial will show you how to prepare your bottles for Water Rocket Construction. To prepare your bottles, the labels and glue must be removed, and the bottles must be cleaned of all contamination from their contents and oils left from manufacturing or handling.
  - Bottle Label Removal V2
    This tutorial will show you another method how to prepare your bottles for Water Rocket Constrction. This involves removing the labels and adhesive from the bottles and making sure there are no oils on the bottle. Failing to do so can result in the rocket leaking or exploding under pressure, due to contaminated splices.
- Launchers
  - Cable Tie Launcher
    What good is building a water rocket if you have no way to launch it? The launcher we will be constructing is a variation of the Clark Cable Tie launcher, as this is the most reliable launcher that is easy to make.
  - Launch Tube o-ring
    Revised instructions for adding the o-ring to the Clark Cable Tie Launcher launch tube which simplify the build and improve the design. We have put a lot of effort into simplifying the design to remove steps which involve precise measurements and part placement, to maximize the ease of construction.
  - Cable Tie Release Mechanism
    This tutorial shows how to add a Clark Cable Tie Release Mechanism to the 22mm Launch Tube fabricated in the previous tutorial. This tutorial shows the newly revised and simplified instructions for making the release.
- Electronics
  - Launch Detect Switch
    This tutorial will show you have to construct a very reliable and lightweight acceleration switch which you can use to activate electronic systems on your rocket such as a ServoChron(tm) 2 Dual Servo Actuated Parachute Recovery System.
  - ServoChron™ 2
    The ServoChron™ 2 is a low cost time delayed dual servo controller designed for use as a parachute deployment or staging mechanism for Water Rockets. There are other potential applications for the ServoChron™ 2 as well. The core of the ServoChron™ 2 is the Texas Instruments MSP430 LaunchPad. This $4.30US board is an inexpensive microcontroller hobbyist experimenting platform that you load our FREE application firmware into with a USB cable. The FREE ServoChron™ 2 application firmware file created by U.S. Water Rockets turns the MSP430 LaunchPad into a user programmable dual servo deployment system timer/controller.
- Deployment Systems
  - ServoChron™ 2
    The ServoChron™ 2 is a low cost time delayed dual servo controller designed for use as a parachute deployment or staging mechanism for Water Rockets. There are other potential applications for the ServoChron™ 2 as well. The core of the ServoChron™ 2 is the Texas Instruments MSP430 LaunchPad. This $4.30US board is an inexpensive microcontroller hobbyist experimenting platform that you load our FREE application firmware into with a USB cable. The FREE ServoChron™ 2 application firmware file created by U.S. Water Rockets turns the MSP430 LaunchPad into a user programmable dual servo deployment system timer/controller.
  - Launch Detect Switch
    This tutorial will show you have to construct a very reliable and lightweight acceleration switch which you can use to activate electronic systems on your rocket such as a ServoChron(tm) 2 Dual Servo Actuated Parachute Recovery System.
  - Axial Deploy System
    The objective of this tutorial is to demonstrate how to build a completely new type of parachute recovery system for water rockets. This system was developed to fill the need for a reliable parachute recovery system that could be made from common materials which was very easy and fast to make. Historically, ease of assembly and reliability have been mutually exclusive goals. This prompted U.S. Water Rockets to take a "clean slate" approach to the problem. This tutorial will explain how to construct the latest version of the U.S. Water Rockets Axial Parachute Recovery System
  - Parachute
    A strong and reliable parachute design is very important to anyone wishing to develop a water rocket with a recovery system. Any system from a simple Air Flap mechanism to the sophisticated ServoChron(tm) electronic deploy system relies on a well made parachute. This tutorial will reveal the secrets to easily making a parachute that will safely recover your water rockets.
- Splicing
  - Bottle Splicing
    In order to create larger Water Rockets with bigger pressure chambers than afforded by typical soft drink bottles, many enthusiasts have resorted to joining multiple bottles together using various methods which all are commonly referred to as "splicing". This tutorial will show you how to use this new method to create perfect splices that are easier to create and outperform traditional splices in both strength and appearance.
  - Bottle Label Removal
    This tutorial will show you how to prepare your bottles for Water Rocket Construction. To prepare your bottles, the labels and glue must be removed, and the bottles must be cleaned of all contamination from their contents and oils left from manufacturing or handling.
  - Bottle Cutting
    Nearly every water rocket design that you can construct will involve some sort of bottle cutting. This tutorial will show you an easy method for getting perfect cuts every time.
- Creating Panoramas
  This tutorial explains how to create a panoramic view using some free image stitching software which you may already have on your computer and were not even aware of!
Research & Development
- Deployment Systems
  - Dual Deployment System
    The dual deploy system proved to be a resounding success and a quantum leap in safety. If either one or even both of the parachutes became tangled or failed to inflate, the separate rocket sections would be too unstable to fall ballistically to the ground. Instead, the sections would tumble slowly down, reducing the chance for injury or property damage on the ground due to a "lawn dart".
- Launch Systems
  - Twist Lock Launcher
    The Twist Lock Launcher is designed as a low cost method to secure your water rocket while pressurizing. These plans are provided for free to anyone who wishes to use them.
- Tracking & Telemetry Systems
  - Ground Test
    A rocketeers worst nightmare is a lost rocket, to combat this we designed our own telemetry and tracking system. A ground test of our new telemetry and tracking system
  - Live Test
    A live test of the tracking system proved a range of 50,000 feet.
- Tools
  - Bottle Cutting Tool
    The bottle cutting jig will cut a straight cut around your bottles to remove the bottom or neck when splicing or making nosecones.
- Pressure Tests
  - Compressor Failure
    To construct a world record water rocket, we needed to do many pressure tests. On this test the compressor failed and caught fire. Then the test vessel self launched at 300PSI!
World Records
- 2004
  - September 2, 2004 1,421 feet
    On September 2, 2004 U.S. Water Rockets set a new single stage water rocket altitude record with an average altitude of 1,421 feet, beating the old record of 1,242 feet that was held by Anti-Gravity Research.
  - September 6, 2004 1,471 feet
    Just 4 days after setting the water rocket single stage world record, it was raised to 1,471 feet.
  - September 11, 2004 1,481 feet
    After 4 more days X-10 set a new water rocket altitude record of 1,481 feet
  - October 23, 2004 1,606 feet
    On a beautiful fall day with the autumn foliage in full glory, the water rocket altitude was raised to 1,606 feet (stunning autumn foliage can be seen in the onboard videos).
- 2005
  - April 16, 2005 1,609 feet
    On the first launch day of 2005 a new single stage water rocket altitude record was achieved. The required two flights averaged at 1609 feet.
  - May 26, 2005 1,696 feet
    This record was described on the television show Mythbusters.
  - September 24, 2005 1,715 feet
    The shakedown flights for the new X-12 water rocket proved to be winners with a new world record of 1,715 feet.
- 2006
  - April 29, 2006 1,787 feet
    The freshly rebuilt X-12 water rocket sets a new world record after nearly being destroyed in an October 2005 crash during a record attempt.
  - April 30, 2006 1,818 feet
    After setting a record the day before, the weather conditions were conducive to another record attempt. A new record of 1,818 feet was achieved as the 2 flight average.
  - May 8, 2006 1,909 feet
    On May 8th 2006, a new WRA2 water rocket single stage world record was set by the famous X-12 water rocket.
- 2007
  - June 14, 2007 2,044 feet
    X-12 pushes the official water rocket single stage world record to over 2,000 feet with an average of 2,044 feet.
Launch Reports
- 2004
  - 8-22-2004
    X-10 Water Rocket crashes and results in the total loss of a video camera and altimeter earlier today during a shakedown flight of a Water Rocket designed to set the World Record for Altitude. The launch went perfectly, but when the rocket went through apogee at nearly 1,200 feet it deployed a parachute which somehow separated from the rocket.
  - 9-12-2004
    A recovery crew for U.S. Water Rockets successfully retrieved the World Record Holding X-10 Water Rocket from a precarious position in a tree, where it had been lodged for 3 weeks. This flight insured the development of our tracking and telemetry system.
  - 11-23-2004
    The successful construction & testing of the remarkable new C-7 payload bay, the first ever payload section to loft a High Definition Water Rocket Video Camera
  - 11-27-2004
    C-7 is the highest resolution Movie Camera to ever fly aboard a Water Rocket, and was designed to outperform its predecessor, C-6 in resolution and framerate. In the second round of test flights, C-7 performed spectacularly, producing very smooth clear video with every test.
- 2005
  - 6-5-2005
    The latest round of test flights which allowed ground observers to view and photograph a new design parachute in action. The entire deployment process was easily visible with binoculars from the ground, making the performance of the new system easy to evaluate. As a backup, in case the ground observations failed to produce conclusive performance data, we installed an innovative "ChuteCam" system in place of the WRA2 required Apogee camera. The ChuteCam uses a series of prisms to bend light and give the ChuteCam a reverse angle view, perfect for observing the parachute unfurling behind the rocket after deploy.
  - 10-29-2005
    While attempting to set a new WRA2 record altitude, parachute failure dooms X-12 and inspires herculean data recovery effort to recover the video from the destroyed camera.
- 2006
  - 6-6-2006
    Although not an official record due to a second flight did not occur due to lack of daylight, X-12 becomes the first Water Rocket ever to surpass 2,000 feet.
  - 7-19-2006
    X-12 reaches an unprecedented altitude of 2,088 feet (636 m) on a clear summer afternoon with great visibility and bright sunshine. Unfortunately, when the rocket was recovered the water tight bulkhead seals of the payload section appeared to have cracked under the tremendous acceleration of launch and allowed water to fill the electronics bay upon splashdown.
MSP430 LaunchPad
- Projects
  - Replace Male Headers
    This tutorial will show a clever trick which will make it extremely easy for anyone of any skill level to remove the male headers that are installed on the MSP430 LaunchPad without damaging the circuit board, and replace them with the female headers provided.
  - Horizontal Stabilizer
    This tutorial shows how to modify your MSP430 LaunchPad so that you can use it with both Breadboards, and BoosterPacks. This simple modification is very easy and costs almost nothing. You can have the best of both worlds by adding these "Horizontal Stabioizers" to your MSP430 LaunchPad.
- MSP430 LaunchPad Drivers
  This archive contains the MSP430 Application UART driver file necessary to communicate to the UART on the MSP430 Launchpad. MSP430 projects which communicate to the PC will use this driver.
- Servochron
  - Servochron-2 Assembly Manual
    Second released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller assembly manual. This details how to build the ServoChron from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron-2 Assembly Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller assembly manual. This details how to build the ServoChron from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron Programming Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller programming manual. This details how to load the ServoChron firmware into from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller operating manual. This details how to configure and use the ServoChron.
  - Servochron Firmware
    ServoChron Firmware file archive for the MSP430 Launchpad.
- Servochron 2
  - Servochron-2 Assembly Manual
    Second released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller assembly manual. This details how to build the ServoChron from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron-2 Assembly Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller assembly manual. This details how to build the ServoChron from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron Programming Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller programming manual. This details how to load the ServoChron firmware into from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron-2 Manual V102
    Current released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller user manual. Note: this manual combines the ServoChron assembly and operating manuals into one convenient file. This manual supersedes the previous revisions.
  - Servochron-2 Manual V101
    Second released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller user manual. Note: this manual combines the ServoChron assembly and operating manuals into one convenient file.
  - Servochron-2 Manual V100
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller user manual. Note: this manual combines the ServoChron assembly and operating manuals into one convenient file.
  - Servochron-2 Firmware
    ServoChron 2 Firmware file archive for the MSP430 Launchpad.
Downloads
- Servochron
  - Servochron-2 Assembly Manual
    Second released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller assembly manual. This details how to build the ServoChron from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron-2 Assembly Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller assembly manual. This details how to build the ServoChron from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron Programming Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller programming manual. This details how to load the ServoChron firmware into from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller operating manual. This details how to configure and use the ServoChron.
  - Servochron Firmware
    ServoChron Firmware file archive for the MSP430 Launchpad.
- Servochron 2
  - Servochron-2 Assembly Manual
    Second released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller assembly manual. This details how to build the ServoChron from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron-2 Assembly Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller assembly manual. This details how to build the ServoChron from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron Programming Manual
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller programming manual. This details how to load the ServoChron firmware into from the MSP430 Launchpad.
  - Servochron-2 Manual V102
    Current released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller user manual. Note: this manual combines the ServoChron assembly and operating manuals into one convenient file. This manual supersedes the previous revisions.
  - Servochron-2 Manual V101
    Second released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller user manual. Note: this manual combines the ServoChron assembly and operating manuals into one convenient file.
  - Servochron-2 Manual V100
    First released version of the ServoChron 2 Dual Deploy Servo Recovery controller user manual. Note: this manual combines the ServoChron assembly and operating manuals into one convenient file.
  - Servochron-2 Firmware
    ServoChron 2 Firmware file archive for the MSP430 Launchpad.
- MSP430 LaunchPad Drivers
  This archive contains the MSP430 Application UART driver file necessary to communicate to the UART on the MSP430 Launchpad. MSP430 projects which communicate to the PC will use this driver.
- MD-80 Camera
  - Datestamp Removal Software
    Firmware file for MSP430 Launchpad utility to modify the firmware in MD80 clones and 808 Car keys camera (Type #3) to remove the timestamp display. Please consult the video series for details how to use this firmware:
    Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEYZbknQM6s
    Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dhP68WtAkQ
    Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q1FE2aQqdo
- 808 Keychain camera
  - Clock Set Instructions
    Instructions and examples showing how to set the clock in the 808 Car Keys Keychain Type #11 HD720P MiniDV Camera.
  - Datestamp removal V2
    808 Keychain camera Type #11 Firmware file disabling the timestamp feature. NOTE: This firmware works on all models and is recommended over version 1.
  - Datestamp removal V1
    808 Keychain camera Type #11 Firmware file disabling the timestamp feature. NOTE: This firmware only works on early models of the camera. Version 2 of this firmware is recommended for all models.
  - Continuous Record V2
    Version 2 of the 808 Keychain camera Type #11 Firmware file enabling the "continuous recording" feature. This firmware adds the following:
    a) The camera will not split recordings into 20 minute clips, it breaks recordings up into 4GB segments instead.
    b) The timestamp is disabled.
    c) If the battery dies, the last clip is properly saved.
    NOTE: This firmware works on all models and is recommended over version 1.
  - Continuous Record V1
    Version of the 808 Keychain camera Type #11 Firmware file enabling the "continuous recording" feature. This firmware adds the following:
    a) The camera will not split recordings into 20 minute clips, it breaks recordings up into 4GB segments instead.
    b) The timestamp is disabled.
    c) If the battery dies, the last clip is properly saved.
    NOTE: This firmware only works on early models of the camera. Version 2 of this firmware is recommended for all models.
- Downloadable Photo Screensavers
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How to add a Clark Cable Tie Release to your Water Rocket Launcher

We have just published a follow up Tutorial to our recently released Water Rocket Launch Tube Construction Tutorial which shows the latest refinements to our popular Clark Cable Tie Launcher tutorial. Since that tutorial was published, we have found ways to make it easier to build, so we created a completely new Cable Tie Release tutorial which includes the updated instructions showing the build process using all of the new techniques.

The new tutorial all but eliminates precise measuring and cutting, and still results in a professional looking launcher that works reliably every time! This tutorial will work with practically any launch tube, but is ideal for rockets with unrestricted nozzles.

The link below will take you to the page for this new tutorial on our main website:
Construction Tutorial: How to make a Clark Cable Tie Release Mechanism for Water Rockets

If you wish to view the entire listing of our Water Rocket Construction Tutorials, then please click the link below which will take you to the full list:
Full listing of Water Rocket Construction Tutorials

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