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Set up and materials:

Takuma: How we did the setup was to first get the items for the rockets. We used 1.5 liter bottles as the rockets and we put the materials that was in the rocket set, to the bottles. After that we designed the rockets but coloring and drawing on it. We all had different creative ideas of how to make the rockets.

Yuto: One problem that I had was when I was putting a string threw a small hole in a plastic funnel holders. The funnel holder is used to connect the bottle rocket and a table tennis ball. Another problem that I had while making the bottle rockets, was the time I had to use a hot glue to stick the funnel holder on the bottom of the bottle. it was a problem because I got glue on my hand when I was gluing. All of us had great designs on the rockets, that will probably look very nice when we shoot it up.

Wataru:I also had the problem of putting the string through the funnel holder. I wish that the string was already  through. The  wings were hard to stick on to the bottle because sometimes it falls off. The blue cone was hard to make in to the right shape and putting the glue on the ping pong ball. This is because it is small and round. Over all it was lots of fun and I am looking forward to firing the rockets.

Abhishek: I felt that the making of the rockets was one of the most enjoyable experiences that I have had the chance to participate in. The most difficult section was when we had to insert a very thin string in to a compact hole. It was immensely annoying. I had a lot of fun overall and feel that this sort of experience should be available to all young students and children who like creating and modeling with rockets.

Erik: I feel that making the rockets have been great fun, what i enjoyed the most was probably using the glue gun to glue on the ball. I felt it was pretty boring trying to decorate the rockets. There were many challenging elements of building the rocket especially cutting out the fins. Coloring the rockets were a bit too easy though.

Alex G: I think that making rockets and shooting them off is one of the most fun things I have ever done in my life. It was fun to make another rocket again, and use the tools, and I think that this one will be much better than the one last year, because that one broke apart when it was in the air, so it didn't go very high. The most difficult part of making the rockets was getting the string through the little hole in the pink funnel holder and gluing them together with the glue gun and trying not to let it slip through. I hope that the school keeps this course for as long as possible and keeps making rockets, because they are very fun to make, and a good use of time.

Sophia : This was my 1st rocket that took more than 1 class. What was hard for me was putting the string threw the plastic insert..... I had to do it 4 times before I succeeded.  The easiest thing about the bottled rockets were when I sanded the rocket to but on the fins.. I put on 2 fins. IT was very fun working on the rocket.

Launching of Rockets:

Reza: I think that the rocket launching was very fun.  At first when it blasted off it was kind of scary.  Mine did not go straight up it turned a little.  They go very high my guess is about one hundred meters.   What I enjoyed most was pulling the string to make it blast off.

Yotaro: I thought that launching the rockets was very thrilling and fun. Erik's rocket almost hit us and some of the rockets didn't launch at first but then blasted off when Mr. Mikton threw the air pump at it. My rocket worked pretty well even though it was so scary. Luckily no one got hurt and everyone enjoyed launching the rockets.

Ryo: This whole project of rockets was very exciting and free making. I thought the launching of the rockets was especially fun. Some peoples' rockets back fired, but people started getting hang of launching, and soon people did this very successfully. Some rockets didn't go up properly, so Mr. Mikton had to throw the air pump carefully at the rocket. My rocket (C.C. Lemon bottle) didn't fit the tube of the launching pad, so I couldn't launch mine. However, Appana was very generous to let me borrow hers. I launched her rocket very successfully. We launched the rockets by filling them with water quarter way.  Then we put the rocket upside down on the launching pad and pumped the air pump until 90 P.S. I., then pulled the string that pushed all the air to the  rocket. Mr. Martin, who has done lots with rockets,  had came to see us launch.

Chris C: This was one of the best project that I have ever done. My rocket had lost a fin so we were going out on a limb when I launched it. As I pumped it up I watched the bottle afraid it would pop. After pumping it up to full the sting was pulled and the pin popped out, the rocket didn't launch. Mr. Mikton tapped the rocket and the rocket early blew up as it launched. It was a memorable sight.

Yuki: Launching the rockets was quite easy. First you have to put the air hose into the bottle opening. Then you start to pump with the pump so that air will go into the bottle and mix with the water and get compressed. When the air is in at the 90 level, you pull the string to pull the trigger. If the rocket does not fire, you should approach with a long piece of wood carefully and push the trigger with the wood.

Charlotte: Launching a rocket was so much fun and it was really exciting too! Although, pumping it up took a lot of effort, it was worth it! We had to pump to about 80-90 on the meter and then pull the string to launch. They launched with so much speed that it really surprised me then. My rocket shot up really high into the air and I guess I was really proud right then and really happy, that it was successful! Making a rocket turned out to be quite easy too, but I guess I was really waiting for the moment to launch it! Also, I have learned a lot about rockets too and the by making this one I have learned the structure of a rocket and how they work too!

Pages maintained by jerwin@asij.ac.jp  Original Course Design John Mikton & Derrel Fincher  Course Facilitation: jerwin@asij.ac.jp Monday August 29, 2005