Rocket Air-Paper

A paper-air rocket is a fun, safe and inexpensive way to discover the basics of rocket science as we can explore the laws of motion and the forces experienced by a rocket in flight.

Isaac Newton first described these laws of motion in 1687. The very same laws are still used today and helped send humans to the moon and into space.

These laws include:

  • Inertia – An object will remain at rest unless affected by another force.
  • Momentum – An object will move at a constant velocity unless affected by another force.
  • F = ma – The sum of the forces (F) on an object is equal to the mass (m) of that object multiplied by the acceleration (a) of the object.
  • Exchange of force – When one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude in the opposite direction. Classically described as “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

Some forces (F) a rocket will experience in flight are:

  • the thrust of the engine or push from an external force
  • weight due to gravity
  • aerodynamic forces such as lift and drag
Four-Forces-Drawn-On-A-Rocket

STEP 1 – Rocket Fuselage.

Fold a sheet of paper in half to find the middle and cut along the crease to cut it in half.

Wrap one half of the paper around the rocket fuselage template tube provided. Lightly roll the paper around the tube and tape, then seal the whole length of the paper tube to make an air-tight seal to form your rocket fuselage.

STEP 2 – Rocket Stabilizing Fins

Fold the other half of the paper to find the middle and then cut in half again

With one of the quarters you have made, fold that in half to find the middle.

Fold each side back ~10mm evenly to forma V shape in the middle

Cut from the center out to edge to form a triangle and then repeat for the other side to make your Stabilizing Fins.

Using some tape, stick the stabilizing fins to each side of the bottom edge of your rocket’s fuselage.

STEP 3 – Rocket Nosecone

First use a piece of tape to hold a Ping-Pong ball onto the top of the rocket’s fuselage. Then use another piece of tape to make an air-tight seal all around the base of the nosecone on the rocket’s fuselage.

Then use another piece of tape to make an air-tight seal all around the base of the nosecone on the rocket’s fuselage.

STEP 4 – Launching the Rocket

Once we have assembled a rocket, we need to use a propulsion system that can impart a force great enough to overcome the rocket’s Inertia, the pull of Gravity and Drag caused by the Friction of air in flight.

To do this:

  • We compress air in a tank that can be released quickly by a valve.
  • At the end of the valve, a tube that has the same diameter as our rocket’s fuselage is attached.
  • By placing our rocket fuselage over this tube, we can both guide the rocket’s direction and release compressed air quickly into the rocket.

When the valve is opened, this force stored in the compressed air is exchanged to the rocket and we have lift-off!