Pneumatic Ballistic Rocket (Tumble Recovery)

thingiverse

We decided to host a party for kids and use it as an opportunity to test out our newly designed ballistic printer, which would allow us to print multiple rocket designs without the need for support structures. The rocket we created is specifically designed to be launched from an 8mm pen launcher, with its internal design optimized for this purpose. The walls of the rocket are thin and require low air pressure to function properly, making it ideal for testing purposes. We used tumble recovery technology in our design, which means that once the rocket reaches a certain height, it will naturally descend back down to earth, allowing us to track its trajectory and collect data on its performance. To ensure accurate tracking, we made sure to use visible colors on the rocket's surface. After printing the rocket, we sanded it down to smooth out any rough edges, then used a 5/16" drill bit to create a tight fit over the pen tube's 8mm outer diameter. Our test rocket showed promising results, with its slightly eccentric wing placement appearing to be effective. We invite anyone interested in doing the math to help us analyze the data and make further improvements to our design. Please note that pneumatic rocketry is an extremely high-risk activity and should only be attempted by experienced individuals who take necessary safety precautions. When firing the rocket, we recommend using a safe distance and low pressure settings. Additionally, tumble recovery technology means that the projectile can potentially come down on someone's head, so please exercise extreme caution. For those interested in creative desk toys, our design has been shared on Thingiverse, and many parents have found it to be a fun activity for kids: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3808419 If you're interested in payload inertial testing, we've also shared our design on Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3812459