Onboard Camera (Pencam)

This is one of my highest launches. The Parachute was supposed to open but didn't. You will notice the camera suffer from the g-force of hitting the ground. No damage though - we lived to fly another day.
This was a 3L cider bottle half filled with water. the fins were made from platic milk bottles and weren't really rigid enough as the video shows. (566KB)

 This is another onboard video using a pencam.

This time the parachute opens and can be seen fluttering in the wind at the end of the video sequence, after the rocket has landed

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 A short video of the launch of a 3L water rocket.

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 Another onboard video from the same water rocket as above. This flight captured some nice aerial shots of the park and surrounding houses.
This fight was especially effective as it got quite high and the parachute opened somewhere near apogee.

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 Another short launch sequence

A bit of a disaster this flight, the parachute opened very early and was ripped from the top of the rocket while it was still accelerating

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 An onboard launch video while on holiday in Wales. Beside the river at Bedgelert.

This one is a balistic flight - i.e. the parachute failed to open.

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 An onboard launch video while on holiday in Wales. Beside the river at Bedgelert.

This time the parachute opened - the picture on the left is a frame showing the shadow of the rocket and parachute.

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This video shows a rocket with the nose weighted by water, you can see the water escape as it climbs (image to the right) to full height (at a guess 200 to 300 ft). Once at apogee the water "should" have all gone, this causes the rocket to fall erratically and slows the decent.

It also looks cool as it releases water during the climb ;o)
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This is the same rocket fitted with a parachute, only it didn't open - doh!

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Another attempt with the parachute. This time it opened - if a little early.

Deployment of the parachute is by a "fall off lid" - not very high tech and about 50% effective. Look carefully at the video and you will see the lid fall to the left of the rocket as the parachute opens.

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This is a sequence of the above five videos linked together.
Again these are all launches at Bedgelert in Wales.

Note: this sequence is in windows WMV format.

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 This kind of failed! It was the cylindrical fin rocket (see below). Because the fin was cylindrical the rocket span - very fast... oops!

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 Short launch video again in Wales. This time a 2L tango bottle. It used a cylindrical fin and was weighted at the front with water. This escapes as the rocket climbs (in theory) making the rocket go higher but come down slower.
Both the cylindrical fin and the water reserviour on the nose are made from a second bottle and taped on using duct tape. Hopefully this is made clear in the image to the left.

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 Another short launch video in Wales.

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 Back to the park. Another launch without parachute.

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 Another rocket launch from the park. Note the "tower" of water from the rocket caught in the frame on the right.

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 Another park, another rocket launch

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 And from onboard.

That's me down below.

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