Egg-O-Naut C

[andrewwski]

Hey starplug, I understand on this thread that you have clearly stated that gravity just needs to do its job but, what exactly will that do for me. I want an efficent manner to get the egg to detach from the bottle and slowly safely fall. O and andrewwski I understand that rule just fine. It makes sense to me. The thing I'm asking is strictly how EXACTLY are you going to build your rocket so that it can get the best time possible. Your too loose. - Please be MORE specific. For example, what shape should the fins be, what should the fins be made of, how many fins should their be, how much water needs to go inside, where should the egg go, if and how you add the parachute, what gravity does, and overall any more important design info that is needed- basically the overall structure? I'm sorry but, this is the first year this event is here for me to see and I've never done bottle rocket so, on this website I'm looking for a good starting base for my design in this competition. Im sorry for all the questions but, this event really has my mind boggled, confused, and lastly stuck. If you could please take a few minutes to give a good summary on how to design a rocket and prefierably a specific and detailed explanation because I have tried so many different things and its not going great. So I'm looking for some more help - Thanks.

I can't tell you that, and even if I could, I wouldn't.

It's the first year any of us have done this event. It's a brand new event, so none of us have any experience in it.

I understand the principles well enough, but I haven't built anything yet either, so I don't really know what works best and what doesn't. That's why we build, test, scrap, and rebuild. I'm still at square one...I have plenty of ideas but nothing concrete yet. I'll be building soon enough, but even then, there's no way that I nor anyone else will know what is absolutely best.

Even if we did, however, I wouldn't tell you everything. Obviously I'm not competing against you, so it's not that I'm not trying to protect my ideas from my competitors. I'm all for exchanging tips and ideas. But the purpose of this event, actually the purpose of any SO event, is to learn by doing. The whole experience you get from doing the event will be designing, building, testing, and starting over. By doing so you'll find what works, and what doesn't work, and be able to make improvements.

Find some starting point to go with. Say a rocket with a nose cone and fins. Then go from there.

And lastly, in response to the last few posts, there's not one best way of doing anything. Take a look around you. Is there a best way of building a car? Or an airplane? If that were the case, we'd have a monotonous world. The best way is whatever works the best for you. Do some research, find as much information as you can, make a detailed design, and build. Then analyze your results, do some more research, and try and make it better.

[starpug]

I agree completely with andrewwski.
One more tip though, Research, look at model rockets what about there design, besides the fuel, thet makes them travel so high, deploy a parachute, and come back down to earth slowly. Now just apply it to your bottle rocket and you should be fine.

[freeman]

Thanks- Just one last question what do you think the best time will be? As anyone made a practice one yet? I'm looking for a good time than can get me a medal but I just don't know where that range exists. If anyone has a clue, I'd appreciate it or if they've made a practice run; I'd like to know their time. Answer ASAP -- Thanks Again

[rocketman1555]

just check the results for the last bottle rocket competition at nationals, and then add 15 seconds or so and you should have a good range

[andrewwski]

That would probably be for national times then. I doubt you'll see that at any regional competition, and probably only sporadically at states.

[binary010101]

Has anyone started to launch yet??

We still haven't built a rocket yet, much less launch it. Regionals aren't till March for us though, so we should be fine.

[freeman]

Rocketman - you can't just do that because I checked the last couple competitions where bottle rockets were 2 liters. This year in egg-o-naut you must use a 1 liter bottle plus you are limited to a low number of 60psi pressure. So I was asking what somebody thinks the winning time will be? Starplug and Andrewwski you guys do a very good job answering many questions on this thread- so, I only have one more-What will be the time you have to get a medal? I checked the rules and if your egg detaches you ge three seconds and if your egg lands safely you get 15 seconds. I did a few minor test runs and I'm not getting a great time. Any predictions because I'm looking for a possible time to aim for that will do me good? Any suggestions??????????????? Please POST

[rocketman1555]

you know, i know what the differences were, i did bottle rockets two years ago, and nobody has any clue what time you'll have to get, because nobody has competed yet. If you are trying to make it so your rocket gets a specific time, its a waste of time. You should build the rocket and test it, and change whatever needs changing to make it so you get the best possible time you can with what you are able to build. Don't worry about what a good time to get is. I would think that you should be able to get above a minute with the egg points included, but i don't know. Nobody has been to a competition yet, i'll be at one on saturday.

and look at the north carolina competitions, they might have some results posted, they have done this event for the past couple years.

o, and about the pressure, i won indiana state using 60 psi of pressure getting around a minute flight time.

[starpug]

Alright to answer your question here are some times for Egg-O-Naut from North Carolina SO in 2007 http://www.sciencenc.com/Tournament_inf ... ourney.pdf
Looking at that if you can get your Egg to detach and everything, and stay aloft for 30+ seconds you shuold do very well
But I wuold go in steps starting with trying to get it up for 10 or 15 seconds
Hope this helps
I'll be adding this link to the wiki also

[freeman]

Thank-you Starplug that should help quite a bit. On those stats that is just the time in the air right? Is that including any bonuses that were offered? For example getting the egg to land and getting it to deploy. Thanks for your help now I have a good basis for what I'm looking to do in this event.