24 hour Water Bottle rocket challenge

[elmarko]

A few weeks ago, the university I work at (UCLan in Preston, UK) held an event in association with NASA, the 24 hour water bottle rocket challenge. It was an attempt to set a new world record for the most number of water bottle rockets launched in 24 hours worldwide. A company called Rokit supplied the kits (www.rokit.com - very cool for kids).

As I'm part of the multimedia team here, I was tasked with filming it. I tried to make simultaneously the most epic and the most naff video ever, with a bit of humour involved, to document the day, and this was the result:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/fE3w6QqQXqc&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/fE3w6QqQXqc&rel=1</a>

Here's the main website with information about the challenge.

http://www.24hourrocketchallenge.com/

I heard that we smashed the record, but it's still being verified by Guinness and the like, so I can't recall what the number is.

But yeah, if you have a spare weekend, and the sun is out, buy one of those kits and teach your kids about rocketry. It is brilliant fun

[Quindar]

Nifty video, good work, thanks...

[A_M_Swallow]

I see you decided to splash out. 

[JimOman]

Awesome!!!

My son and I became mildly obsessed with water rockets a few years back when I had to build one for an engineering class. My "Nautilus X-1" rocket for class reached 425 feet. My son (8 yrs old) and I are now working on our 4th round of rockets, mine to exceed 600 feet and his to beat 350 feet.

Great fun!

My current rocket specs:
-2 stage
-double staged parachute deployment system, upper stage para-foil return.
- 8 liters total space (not including drop-boosters)
-800 ml water
-25ml dishsoap
-2 drop away boosters (1.5L each)
-140 psi Max pressure

Launch Pad:
Remote water filling
Remote launch trigger
Remote air press
0-15* launch angle adjustments
Water and air remote on-pad abort ability
150 psi max air press
225mm launch tube

In-work upgrades:
Automatic launch sequencer systems (ALSS) will fill the rocket with the specified amount of water, pressurize it to 140psi, and launch it all with the push of 1 remote controller button. It will also recognize an air or water leak via pressure loss and automatically perform an on-pad abort.

It's gonna be awesome!