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How to make a rocket at home from improvised materials. What are the rockets and how to make a working model with your own hands Do-it-yourself rocket from scrap materials for children

Pathology of the uterus

Salute to all!

How are you, dear readers and guests of my blog? Did you manage to take a break from? I think it’s not stressful to make something and do it together with the kids. And now there is one holiday ahead - Cosmonautics Day. And it falls on April 12th. On the day when our Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin first flew into space.

Usually this is a boyish theme - space. They are very fond of inventing flying machines, saucers and rockets. But some girls are not far behind either. Still would! This is very exciting, and from junk and natural material you can make such works that they will win at any competition.

Let's see a selection of interesting ideas. Most likely, they will push you to interesting thoughts and sculpt your masterpieces. After all, fantasy is where to roam. The work can include planets, satellites, flying machines, UFOs, rockets and much more.

I note that I also draw ideas from the Internet, from its public sources. Basically, these are cool and original creations for kindergarten and elementary school kids. Plus, I can recommend excellent options for paper airplanes in the note https://mognotak.ru/kak-sdelat-samoletik-iz-bumag.html

Well, let's go! As Yuri Gagarin once aptly said).

Interesting ideas on the topic of space do it yourself

First, let's look at what can be done on this topic. For younger kids, it will be possible to make (not without the help of parents) such a layout from colored paper. It contains all the planets in our solar system. At the same time, of course, we teach the kids the names of the planets.

Application Solar System

You can make such applications from small plasticine balls. Only such compositions are better to draw first and even paint over with flowers. And then you can already roll up small balls and just stick.

After all, the truth is it possible to provide for the competition?

Squirrel in a rocket

We sculpt figurines of astronauts and a lunar rover from salt dough. Simple . This material is a pleasure to work with for several reasons:

  • it hardens quickly and can even be placed in the oven;
  • it is easy then to paint it with different colors with acrylic paints or gouache;
  • environmentally friendly, you can even swallow it))).

Russian cosmonauts and lunar rover

Simple paper rockets can be made by kids 4-5 years old. It turns out a simple kind of origami. And you can stick them on a dark blue background, which will personify outer space.

rockets in the universe

From toys, jars, tubes and plasticine, we will stick such funny aliens.

funny aliens

Another option for the competition in the technique of modular origami.

We turn on the fantasy and use everything: polystyrene foam, tree branches, foil, wire. Even bushings for making rockets will come in handy.

Gagarin in flight

Plasticine composition with saturn, stars, rocket and our green planet.

Milky Way

And some humor

Cat in a hat from the planets of our solar system

I hope we have more or less chosen something for ourselves, what we will make and move on.

Simple crafts for kids in kindergarten for Cosmonautics Day

I propose with the kids to make a rocket from a sleeve (you can even use toilet paper) and colored paper. It turns out such a long and stable little thing that can be put on a blue background and next to the figure of an astronaut.

Add foil and you have a more realistic spacecraft.

Let's fold a spaceship out of paper. To do this simply according to the diagram below.

And here is the finished version. Color it however you like.

Or we will fold an unidentified flying machine out of thick paper. You can make several such gizmos and put them on the blue sky again.

Look at what colorful and at the same time original UFOs we get.

Let's use our favorite baby toy - plasticine. It is malleable, soft and sticks well to almost any surface.

Here are some applications you can do with it in disposable plates.

Saucers - open space

Oh, and we parted ways! We sculpt a cute alien. It will just look good next to a paper flying saucer.

funny alien

Don't want to fold paper? So let's blind her too, because there is a lot of plasticine!

When working with plasticine, the first thing to do is to explain to the children that this is an inedible material and you do not need to take it into your mouth.

Alien and flying saucer made of plasticine

Cosmic idea from paper and cardboard on April 12

Of components such as paper and cardboard, it is easiest to do work in kindergarten and school. Because they are always in every home. Also scissors and glue. If all this is available, then I propose to build such a composition from a flying spaceship, the sun and Saturn on a black background.

Required for work:

  • Cardboard with a black background, about 30 * 25 cm;
  • Toilet paper sleeve;
  • colored paper;
  • Foil gold and silver;
  • Semolina;
  • Scissors;
  • PVA glue;
  • Pencil.

Manufacturing:

1. Cut the sleeve in half. Cut off the edges from one end to make the nose of the rocket.

2. Cut out three blue cones from blue paper, which we bend in the middle. These will be our rocket engines. We glue them to the uncut (rear) part of the sleeve.

3. Glue the rocket on a black background.

4. Cut out two petals from red and golden paper. It will be a fire tearing out from behind the ship.

5. Glue the flame and the cut out window.

6. Draw the sun on the golden foil, and Saturn with the ring on the silver foil. Cut out and glue both shapes onto black cardboard.

7. Apply glue to the background and sprinkle with semolina on top. This is our Milky Way. A beautiful craft is ready!

Did you like the collage? If you have schoolchildren, then you can make a flying luminous object below.

Video on how to make a flying saucer from a plastic bottle

How to do it - let's watch a short video. I'm sure the kids will enjoy the process itself, and then they will play UFO with enthusiasm. After all, this is not just a craft, but with light special effects!

How to make crafts from disks on a space theme?

CDs are already being thrown into the trash, but in vain. After all, this junk material is very suitable for souvenirs for Cosmonautics Day. Its shiny and round flat surface is very suitable for the production of unidentified flying objects.

Here's a second grader's masterpiece. She used a disk under a flying saucer with a very cute alien.

And this is the alien himself with antennas made of springs and foil.

Interplanetary taxi from the guys from the preparatory group in kindergarten.

The cutest plate of rhinestones and fluffy antennae.

O! And here is a whole group of funny humanoids with their vehicles.)

And one more idea how to use CDs.

Step by step 3D postcard in the form of a rocket

If you have never created voluminous postcards, then here is a step-by-step method for you. Again, everything is as simple as two and two. And templates can be obtained at the end of my note.

We need:

  • Blank sheet of paper A4;
  • Simple pencil;
  • Scissors;
  • colored paper;
  • Glue;
  • Gouache paints.

Manufacturing:

1. Fold A4 sheet in half. On the fold we draw a half of the rocket.

2. Part of the rocket in the photo below is marked with a dotted line. This means that we will not cut here. And cut out all the straight lines with scissors.

3. We try to do everything as carefully as possible.

4. Turn our starship inside out. It will fold inward and the entire card will fold inward.

5. We draw the details of the ship: nozzles, porthole, nose and flame below.

6. Color the background black with gouache. And the rocket itself in suitable colors.

Here you can dream up and make the face of an astronaut in the window of the porthole.

7. We draw beautiful flames.

8. Cut out different planets from colored paper. We glue them all over the background. You can also make foil stars.

Voila! Our cool voluminous postcard is ready. We give it to the destination.

We make original works for the school competition

Let's get inspired by the ideas of the kids who won space-themed craft contests. They all tried, working through every detail in their masterpieces.

Any available materials were used in the works. These are twine, foam balls as planets, glass pebbles, felt and much more.

international station

Composition of the planet Earth, a rocket and two astronauts in outer space.

Russian cosmonauts

Solar System with satellite and planets.

And here is a magnificent model made of plastic bottles.

We use felt for voluminous appliqué.

Intergalactic travelers.

Beautiful application of napkin balls.

To make it, you need to roll many, many balls from colored paper napkins. But the work seems to be worth it!

A squirrel and a salt dough arrow wave their paws at you).

A drop of imagination on the theme of the galaxy, starships and UFOs - and a wonderful work for the competition is already ready!

Pictures and templates on the theme of space

As a background and pictures, I suggest using cute templates and drawings. They will fit perfectly when creating postcards or crafts on the theme of astronautics.







On this note, I will say goodbye to you for a while. I wish you success in your work and pleasant moments spent together with the guys!

The rocket is an amazing invention of mankind. It brings us closer to the stars and at the same time is a model of the latest technologies. That is why rockets are so attractive not only for adults, but also for children. And often the question arises of how to make a rocket at home.

For what

First of all, you need to decide on the goal. Maybe you want to make a home decoration or an original toy in the form of a rocket. Or maybe the question is how to make a rocket with your own hands so that it flies for real. In this case, it is better not to carry out experiments at home in order to avoid, but to transfer work to fresh air.

Rocket: do it with the kids

You can make a simple rocket out of paper, which will be a good decoration for a Christmas tree or a craft. This will require a minimum of materials, and the scope for imagination is huge. Thanks to the design, each craft will be different from all the others.

What you need

Those who decide how to make a rocket at home with their children will need very little:

A tube made of cardboard or other dense material (for example, the one on which a roll of toilet paper or paper towels is wound is quite suitable);

colored paper;

Glue, scissors.

How to do

The process of making the product is very simple, so even a child can handle it. There is only one small difficulty in how to make a rocket at home: you will need to glue the cone, which will become the top of the future product. It can be cut out of thick cardboard to give the whole structure reliability, but then it will be more difficult to strengthen it on the base cylinder. Or you can just use colored paper.

In any case, you need to cut out a figure that repeats the quarter circle. Then fold it into a cylinder and trim it so that the top circumference is slightly wider than the base. Then, if cardboard is used, it can be attached to the base with the help of And if loose paper is used, it will be convenient to make small cuts along the edge of the cone, which can then be bent and glued to the base along the circumference.

Then the body should be glued with colored paper. And here opens up full scope for creativity. You can cut through the portholes, which are then covered with paper of a different color. You can even place small astronauts there. And the last step in how to make a rocket at home will be the preparation and installation of the wings. They are small at the rocket, usually there are 3 or 4 of them. From colored paper, you need to cut out identical trapeziums, which are bent in half and small flaps are bent to stick on the rocket body. They need to be smeared with glue and attached to the body in its lowest part, at the same distance from each other. Everything, the rocket is ready!

A cute space craft is very easy to make. It will help not only to spend free time with the children, but also to create such a thing that can be easily boasted to the guests. And the question of how to make a rocket at home will already arise with them.

Craft "Rocket" will be an ideal gift for a holiday such as Defender of the Fatherland Day, or April 12th. Photos of various rocket crafts can be viewed on the Internet. Familiarization with several options for this type of craft will allow you to turn on your imagination and create a real masterpiece.

paper rocket

In case you do not know what a rocket can be made of, it is recommended to turn your attention to paper. The composition of paper is different in that even children over the age of five can make it. The presented product can act as a gift to relatives.

Try to make a rocket together with the children, developing the eye, visual memory, and generally getting closer to the kids.

The process of creating a paper rocket includes the following manipulations:

First of all, you need to carefully fold the paper sheet, getting a rectangle. One half of the rectangle is folded to form a cylinder.


Do not forget that the edges will need to be carefully trimmed in a circle, this is done so that in the end the design is more stable.

Taking three squares and using scissors, you need to make a porthole. If children create crafts, then you need to remind them that you need to carefully use cutting tools.

All that remains is to glue the resulting porthole to the existing cylinder. Next, you need to move on to assembling the rocket. When the bow is fixed, you can proceed to decorate the "tail" of the product.

Such a simple master class on making a rocket will allow you to personally verify that there is nothing difficult in creating such a composition.

This leads to the fact that, if desired and with the proper approach, you can always create a spaceship with your own hands, and your children will be happy to help you.

Origami rocket - beautiful and original

Such a composition really looks unusual, if you want to create it, you need to make a minimum of effort, spending a little time, not forgetting to turn on your imagination, showing your exquisite taste. We make a rocket with our own hands step by step so as not to miss a single detail.

Such a composition can be a great solution for such a holiday as Cosmonautics Day, for example, it is quite possible to perform it using the modular origami technique. Older children will be able to independently realize the presented idea.


The creation of crafts is carried out according to the following plan:

At the very beginning, you will need to prepare paper squares, each of their sides should be ten centimeters. The square is folded so that the result is two rectangles and four squares.

It is important to note here that the four corners must be carefully bent towards the center, after which the figure is turned over, the corners are bent strictly to the middle. As a result of such elementary manipulations, it is possible to create a “star in a square”.

Next, you need to insert the already created modules into each other, carefully gluing them together. At the moment when you glue the bottom row, you can stick three more rows on top, connecting the body as a whole. Do not forget that any manipulations must be carried out carefully, only then it will be possible to achieve the same composition as a result.

But you can’t imagine a rocket without a nose, so proceed to create it, there is nothing complicated here. All you need to do is roll the paper cone, it's easy and simple.

If necessary, or if desired, you can always make legs that are glued to the base of the module. By doing such simple manipulations, you can enjoy the fact that in the end you will have an original rocket.

Now you are familiar with the instructions on how to make a rocket with your own hands, and you could see for yourself that there is nothing complicated here. Therefore, helping your children, together you will be able to create a real masterpiece that can be presented to relatives, relatives, friends.

plasticine rocket

You can always make a spaceship out of plasticine. It should be noted that this option is famous for developing the baby's fine motor skills, this activity is useful both for attention and perseverance, which will definitely need to be taken into account. But in general, such an activity will definitely be able to attract children to love for creative activity.

The kids themselves must choose the block of plasticine that they like the most, rolling it on a gloss and creating a small oval. Next, the oval is transformed into a long sausage, it needs to be divided into 4 parts, since these will be the legs. To create a door, an oval is rolled up, attached to the bottom of the "homemade".

What do you need to know?

Making a rocket from improvised materials is an interesting and useful activity that children love. The main task of parents is to provide them with this opportunity, so you should treat this issue comprehensively and responsibly.

Photo crafts rockets

From what and how to make a rocket with your own hands, our interesting and informative master classes will tell you, equipped with detail diagrams and a step-by-step description of the process. The scope for creativity here is very large, and work requires such simple and affordable items as paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, matches, foil and other improvised materials. The model can be exclusively souvenir and then used as a gift to someone from relatives and friends. Well, for the most inquisitive and creative, we have prepared lessons that describe the creation of a rocket that flies. It is also quite easy to do, however, the launch is permissible only in the open air and only if elementary safety rules are observed.

How to make a rocket with your own hands so that it flies - a simple master class for children

This simple and affordable master class will teach your child how to make a flying paper rocket with their own hands. To work, you will need a minimum of materials, but, nevertheless, in order for everything to work out as it should, you will have to show attention and accuracy. The smoother and clearer the fold lines are, the more aerodynamic the craft will be and the farther it can fly.


Necessary materials for making a flying rocket with your own hands

  • sheet of A4 paper
  • scissors
  • rubber bands for money

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a flying rocket with your own hands for children

  1. Make a neat vertical fold in the center of the paper sheet, and then fold the top corners along it.
  2. Then, at the corners adjacent to the center line, bend the halves and continue the fold lines on both sides to the very bottom of the sheet.
  3. Bend the outer corners of the sheet inward so that the workpiece has a sharp nose.
  4. Then fold the paper blank in half along the center fold line.
  5. Fold each wing (half) in half again.
  6. On the resulting triangle, make an oblique fold closer to the front bow.
  7. Using scissors, make an incision along the fold, but not completely, but only on the outer folding part.
  8. Expand the workpiece like a book, and fold in half the edges under the cut in half.
  9. Fold the rocket clearly in half to make it very thin and narrow.
  10. To launch a rocket, take two rubber bands for money and fold them as shown in the photo.
  11. The loop created at one end is hooked onto the sharp protrusion of the rocket. Take the second one in your hand, pull the rocket to the maximum distance and release it so that it flies. Do not aim at the face, as the flight speed will be very high and the craft may injure the skin.

How to make a rocket out of cardboard with your own hands - parts diagrams and workflow

Following the recommendations of this master class, you can make a voluminous and beautiful themed toy with your own hands - a space rocket made of cardboard and colored paper. The lesson is accompanied not only by a detailed description and step-by-step photos, but also by diagrams, according to which it will be easy to cut out important small details.


Necessary materials for making a cardboard rocket with your own hands

  • colored paper set
  • one-sided colored cardboard
  • paper towel roll
  • scissors
  • stapler
  • ruler
  • pencil
  • PVA construction
  • satin ribbon in bright colors

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a space rocket out of cardboard and paper

  1. Cut out a blank from a sheet of red colored paper with a semicircular top and a more even bottom.
  2. Fold it into a cone and secure the junction of the edges with a stapler.
  3. Cut the edges in a zigzag pattern so that the paper fits the base better in the future. Lubricate the cone inside with glue, put it on a cardboard sleeve from paper towels and press the edges well.
  4. From a sheet of colored paper, cut out a fragment corresponding in length and height to the dimensions of the sleeve from paper towels. Lubricate the edge of this blank with glue, and then wrap it around the entire rocket body and carefully press it at the junction.
  5. On a piece of cardboard, draw a diagram of the rocket nozzles with a simple pencil and cut it out with scissors. This will be the template.
  6. According to the cardboard template, cut out 3-4 nozzles from colored paper in contrasting shades. Then from these fragments support will be obtained.
  7. Mark the fold lines on the nozzles and draw with scissors so that they become visible and clear. Glue the parts to the bottom of the rocket body.
  8. Cut out a few circles from dark paper and glue on the front of the rocket. These will be the windows.
  9. Cut a few (3-6) small pieces from a bright satin braid, singe the edges on the fire so that the threads do not come out. Glue inside the tail of the rocket and hold for a while so that the glue has time to grab.
  10. Place the finished rocket or lay it sideways on a flat surface.

How to make a rocket from a bottle so that it flies high - video

In this video, the authors - dad and son - tell you how to make a rocket from a plastic bottle at home. The work uses the most common materials that are always at hand. The whole process is shown in great detail, and the expediency of each action is clearly and easily explained. A special point that is emphasized is the safety of manufacturing and further launch, and this is extremely important for both adults and children.

How to make a space rocket with your own hands from paper at home


At home, from the most ordinary paper, you can make a real space rocket with your own hands. The work is not too difficult, but requires accuracy and attention. School-age children can easily cope with this task on their own, and kids from kindergarten will need a little help from educators, parents or older brothers or sisters.

Necessary materials for a space rocket made of paper

  • paper
  • insulating tape
  • scissors
  • glue gun (or PVA glue)
  • empty plastic tube from a ballpoint pen

Step by step instructions for making paper rockets at home

  1. From a sheet of paper, cut out two pieces of the same length and a width of approximately 5 centimeters.
  2. Attach a small piece of electrical tape to one piece of paper and wrap the plastic tube from a ballpoint pen several times. Try to stretch the paper evenly so that it fits neatly around the plastic base. This will become the body of the future rocket.
  3. Secure the edge of the paper with electrical tape so that it does not unfold in the future. Carefully cut off possible irregularities with clerical scissors.
  4. Cut off a small piece of electrical tape and plug the rocket body with it on one side.
  5. From the electrical tape, cut three pieces about 6-7 centimeters long. Fold each of them in half, but do not glue until the very end. Cut the edge at a 45 degree angle with scissors and attach to the tail of the rocket. These will be stabilizers.
  6. Roll the remaining half of the paper into a cone shape and wrap it with electrical tape for strength.
  7. Cut off a small piece from the nose of the rocket.
  8. Fill the cone with adhesive solution ¾ and insert the clogged part of the rocket base into it. Hold the structure in such a position for some time so that the glue grabs and the parts become whole. Place the finished work on a flat surface or cardboard stand.

How to make a rocket from matches and foil - a master class


This easy and affordable tutorial explains how to make a match and foil rocket at home. The work requires the simplest materials, and the process itself takes just a few minutes. Then an impromptu aircraft can even be launched, however, it should be remembered that such events should be carried out only in the open air and, preferably, in the presence of adults.

Necessary materials for making a rocket from foil and matches

  • kitchen matches - 1 box
  • foil
  • paper clip (or wire)
  • needle (or safety pin)
  • scissors

Step-by-step instructions for a master class on creating a rocket from matches with your own hands

  1. Lay out a sheet of foil on the table, cut out a small fragment of 5x10 centimeters from it and cut it out with scissors.
  2. Place an ordinary match and a needle together so that the sharp tip of the needle is adjacent to the place where the match is covered with sulfur.
  3. Then wrap the structure with a pre-prepared piece of foil from the edge where the sulfur is located. Act very carefully and carefully. Make sure that the head with sulfur is completely covered with foil and that air does not penetrate inside.
  4. After all these operations, very carefully pull out the needle, being careful not to damage the integrity of the foil layer. As a result, a small hole is formed through which the gas created at the time of combustion can escape, and the rocket can be launched into flight.
  5. For a stand at a strong and strong paper clip, bend the core to the side.
  6. Fix the rocket on the stand and leave it in that position. If the work is purely souvenir in nature, it can be placed in a cupboard under glass or placed on a table (or on any other flat and reliable surface). When the plans include a launch, it should be remembered that it can only be carried out on the street in compliance with elementary safety rules.
  7. To send it into flight, it is enough to place the rocket launcher on a flat surface, light another match and bring the fire to where the foil covers the sulfur.

Rocket modeling is an activity that captivates not only children, but also quite mature and successful people, as you can see from the composition of the teams of athletes at the World Championship in rocket modeling sports, which will be held in Lviv on August 23-28. Even NASA employees will come to compete on it. With rockets assembled by myself. In order to make the simplest working model of a rocket with your own hands, special knowledge and skills are not needed - there are a large number of detailed instructions on the Internet. Using them, you can make your own rocket even from paper, even from parts purchased at a hardware store. In this article, we will take a closer look at what rockets are, what they are made of, and how to make a rocket with your own hands. So, in anticipation of the Championship, you can get your own model and even fly it. Who knows, maybe by August you will decide to take part in an extra-class competition in launching rockets with a payload "Save Space Eggs" (to be held as part of the Championship) and compete for a prize fund of 4,000 euros.

What is a rocket made of?

Any rocket model, regardless of class, necessarily consists of the following parts:

  1. Frame. The rest of the elements are attached to it, and the engine and the rescue system are installed inside.
  2. Stabilizers. They are attached to the bottom of the rocket body and give it stability in flight.
  3. Rescue system. Needed to slow down the free fall of a rocket. It can be in the form of a parachute or a brake band.
  4. Head fairing. This is the cone-shaped head of the rocket, which gives it an aerodynamic shape.
  5. Guide rings. They are attached to the body on the same axis, they are needed in order to fix the rocket on the launcher.
  6. Engine. Responsible for the takeoff of the rocket and is even in the simplest models. They are divided into groups according to the total thrust impulse. You can buy a model engine at a tech store or build your own. But in this article we will focus on the fact that you already have a finished engine.

Not part of a rocket, but a must-have launcher. It can be purchased ready-made or assembled independently from a metal rod on which the rocket is attached and a trigger mechanism. But we will also focus on what launcher you have.

Classes of missiles and their differences

In this section, we will consider the classes of rockets that can be seen with our own eyes at the World Championship in rocket modeling in Lviv. There are nine of them, eight of them are approved by the International Aviation Federation as official for the World Championship, and one - S2 / P - is open not only to athletes, but to everyone who wants to compete.

Rockets for competition or just for yourself can be made from different materials. Paper, plastic, wood, foam, metal. A mandatory requirement is that the materials are not explosive. Those who take rocket modeling seriously use specific materials that have the best performance for rocket purposes, but can be quite expensive or exotic.

The S1 class rocket in the competition must demonstrate the best flight altitude. These are one of the simplest and smallest rockets that take part in competitions. S1, like other missiles, are divided into several subclasses, which are indicated by letters. The closer to the beginning of the alphabet, the lower the total thrust of the engine that is used to launch the rocket.


Class S2 rockets are designed to carry payloads, according to the FAI, a "payload" can be something compact and fragile, with a diameter of 45 millimeters and a weight of 65 grams. For example, a raw chicken egg. A rocket may have one or more parachutes that will bring the payload and rocket back to earth unharmed. Missiles of class S2 cannot have more than one stage and they must not lose a single part in flight. The athlete needs to launch the model to a height of 300 meters and at the same time land it in 60 seconds. But if the cargo is damaged, then the result will not be counted at all. So it's important to strike a balance. The weight of the model with the engine must not exceed 1500 grams, and the weight of the fuel components in the engine must not exceed 200 grams.

S3 rockets may look exactly like S1 rockets to the uninitiated, but their mission in competition is different. S3 are rockets for the duration of the descent using a parachute. The specifics of the competition in this class is that the athlete needs to carry out three rocket launches, using only two models of rockets. Accordingly, at least one of the models still needs to be found after launch, and they often land several kilometers from the launch zone.

For models of this class, parachute diameters usually reach a diameter of 90-100 centimeters. Common materials are fiberglass, balsa wood, cardboard, the nose is made of lightweight plastic. The fins are made from lightweight cork wood and can be covered in fabric or fiberglass.

The S4 class is represented by gliders, which must be in flight for as long as possible. These are "winged" devices, whose appearance is quite different from what you would expect from a rocket. They rise into the sky with the help of an engine. But in gliders it is forbidden to use anything that will give them acceleration or somehow affect soaring, in the sky the device must be kept solely due to its aerodynamic characteristics. The materials for such rockets are usually balsa wood, the wings are made of fiberglass or foam, and balsa wood too, that is, everything that weighs almost nothing.

Class S5 rockets are copy rockets, the purpose of their flight is altitude. The competition takes into account not only the quality of the flight, but also how accurately the participant managed to repeat the body of a real rocket. These are basically two-stage models with a massive launch vehicle and a very narrow nose. They usually go very fast towards the sky.

S6 class rockets are very similar to S3 class rockets, but they eject a brake band (streamer) in flight. In fact, it performs the function of a rescue system. Since rockets of this class also need to stay in the air for as long as possible, the task of the competitor is to create the lightest and yet strong body possible. Models are made of parchment or fiberglass. The nose is made of vacuum plastic, fiberglass, paper, and the stabilizers are made of lightweight balsa wood, which is coated with fiberglass for durability. Ribbons for such missiles are usually made of aluminized lavsna. The tape should intensively "flap" in the wind, resisting falling. Its dimensions usually range from 10x100 centimeters to 13x230 centimeters.

Models of the S7 class require very painstaking work. Like the S5, these models are multi-stage copies of real rockets, but unlike the S5, they are evaluated in flight, among other things, by how plausibly they repeat the launch and flight of a real rocket. Even the colors of the rocket must match the "original". That is, this is the most spectacular and difficult class, do not miss it at the World Championship in rocket modeling! Both juniors and seniors will compete in this class on August 28th. The most popular rocket prototypes are Saturn, Ariane, Zenit 3, and Soyuz. Copies of other missiles also take part in the competition, but as practice shows, they usually show worse results.

The S8 is a cruise gliding radio-controlled rocket. This is one of the most diverse classes, there are significantly different designs and types of materials used. The rocket must take off, make a gliding flight within a certain time. Then it must be planted in the center of a circle with a diameter of 20 meters. The closer the rocket lands to the center, the more bonus points the participant will receive.

The S9 class are rotorcraft and they also compete against each other in the time spent in flight. These are lightweight models made of fiberglass, vacuum plastic and balsa wood. Without an engine, they often weigh about 15 grams. The most intricate part of this class of rockets is the blades, which are usually made from balsa and must be aerodynamically correct. These rockets do not have a rescue system, this effect is achieved due to the autorotation of the blades.

In competitions, rockets of this class, as well as classes S3, S6 and S9, must be at least 40 millimeters in diameter and at least 500 in height. The higher the subclass of the rocket, the larger its dimensions must be. In the case of the most compact S1 rockets, the body diameter should not be less than 18 millimeters, and the length should not be less than 75% of the rocket's length. These are the most compact models. In general, there are limitations for each class. They are set out in the FAI (Federation Aviation Internationale) code. And before the flight, each model is checked for compliance with the requirements of its class.


Of all the rockets taking part in the current Championship, only models of the S4, S8 and S9 classes are required that none of their parts separate during flight, even on the rescue system. For the rest it is acceptable.

How to make a simple and working rocket model from scrap materials

The easiest rockets to make at home are the S1 class, and the S6 class is also considered relatively simple. But in this section, we will still talk about the first. If you have children, you can make a rocket model together or let them build it themselves.

To make a model you will need:

  • two sheets of A4 paper (it is better to choose multi-colored ones so that the rocket looks brighter, the thickness of the paper is about 0.16-0.18 millimeters);
  • glue;
  • polystyrene foam (instead of it, you can use thick cardboard from which the boxes are made);
  • a piece of thin polyethylene, at least 60 cm in diameter;
  • ordinary sewing threads;
  • stationery gum (as for money);
  • a rolling pin or other object of a similar shape, the main thing is to have a smooth surface and a diameter of about 13-14 centimeters;
  • a pencil, pen or other object of similar shape with a diameter of 1 centimeter and another with a diameter of 0.8 centimeters;
  • ruler;
  • compass;
  • engine and launcher if you plan to use the rocket for its intended purpose.

On the drawings, which are very numerous on the Internet, you can find rockets with different ratios of the length and width of the body, the "sharpness" of the head fairing and the size of the stabilizers. The text below gives the dimensions of the parts, but if you want, you can use other proportions, as in one of the drawings in the gallery below. The procedure still remains the same. Look at these drawings (especially the last one) if you decide to assemble the model according to the instructions.



Frame

Take one of the saved sheets of paper, measure with a ruler 14 centimeters from the edge (if you don’t get the same volume as ours, just add a couple more millimeters to your figure, they will be needed in order to glue the sheet). Cut off.

Twist the resulting piece of paper around the rolling pin (or whatever you have). The paper must fit perfectly on the object. Glue the sheet directly on the rolling pin so that you get a cylinder. Let the glue dry, in the meantime, take on the manufacture of the head fairing and tail of the rocket.

The head and tail of the rocket

Take the second piece of paper and the compass. Measure 14.5 centimeters with a compass, draw from two diagonally located corners of the circle.

Take a ruler, attach it to the edge of the sheet near the beginning of the circle and measure a point on the circle at a distance of 15 centimeters. Draw a line from the corner to this point and cut out this section. Do the same with the second circle.


Glue the cones from both pieces of paper. At one of the cones, cut off the top by about 3 centimeters. This will be the tail section.

To glue it to the base, make cuts on the bottom of the cone about every centimeter and a depth of 0.5 centimeter. Bend them outward and apply glue to the inside. Then glue it to the rocket body.

To attach the head fairing, you need to make a "ring", thanks to which it will be attached to the base. Take a sheet of the same color you used for the base and cut out a 3x14cm rectangle. Roll it into a cylinder and glue it. The diameter of the ring should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the base of the rocket so that it fits perfectly into it. Glue the ring to the head of the rocket in the same way as you glued the base (just don't cut anything off the cone this time). Insert the second side of the ring into the base of the rocket to check if you have guessed with the diameter.


Let's get back to the tail section. The rocket needs to be stabilized and an engine compartment made. To do this, you need to again take the paper from which you made the base of the rocket, cut out a 4x10 cm rectangle, find an oblong and round object about 1 cm in diameter and wrap a piece of paper around it, after lubricating it with glue over the entire area so that you end up with a dense multilayer cylinder . On one side of the cylinder, make cuts of 4 millimeters, bend them, apply glue to the inside and glue to the tail.

At the bottom of the rocket should be stabilizers. They can be made from thin sheet foam or, if not available, thick cardboard. You need to cut out four rectangles with sides of 5x6 centimeters. From these rectangles - cut out the clamps. You can choose any shape you like.

Please note that the head fairing, tail cone and engine compartment must be set exactly along the longitudinal axis of the hull (they must not be tilted away from the hull).

rescue system

In order for the rocket to smoothly return to the ground, it needs a rescue system. In this model we are talking about a parachute. Ordinary thin polyethylene can act as a parachute. You can take, for example, a 120-liter package. For our rocket, you need to cut a circle with a diameter of 60 centimeters in it and fix it on the body with slings (about 1 meter long). There should be 16 of them. Strong threads are suitable for the role of slings. Attach the lines to the parachute with adhesive tape at an equal distance from each other.

Fold the parachute in half, then in half again, then squeeze.

To secure the parachute, take another thread, the length of which should be twice the length of the body. Glue it to the engine compartment between the two stabilizers. Tie an elastic band to the thread in two places, so that if you pull the thread, the elastic band stretches, and the thread is the stretch limit (recommendations: tie the elastic band to the thread at a distance of 5 centimeters from the upper edge of the body).

Before putting the parachute into the rocket, you need to place a wad. For example, a piece of cotton wool (or soft paper, napkins) can act as a wad. Make a ball out of the material you like and insert it inside the rocket. If you have talcum powder, then sprinkle it with talcum powder to prevent possible ignition due to the charge being triggered. The wad should not be tight, but the amount of cotton wool should be sufficient to push the rescue system out.

Insert it inside the rocket, then put the parachute and lines. Gently, with rings so that they do not get confused.

A streamer can also act as a rescue system, and if you want to make an S6 class rocket, then you can see how to lay and tie it in these photos.









Mounting to the launcher and launch

Cut out two 1.5x3 cm rectangles. Roll them into a cylinder with a diameter of approximately 0.8 centimeters so that the launcher mount passes freely through these cylinders. Glue to the base of the rocket on the same axis at a distance of a few centimeters from the top and bottom of the base.

Install the engine in the engine bay. Ready to launch!

To start, you need a metal rod with a length of at least a meter and a diameter of 4-5 millimeters. It must be strictly vertical to the ground. Regardless of any conditions, the end of the rod must be at least 1.5 meters from the ground to avoid injury to the eyes.

Never try to launch a rocket at home! Even such a seemingly innocent device can cause a lot of trouble indoors. There must be at least 500 meters from the launch site to the nearest houses.

After igniting the engine, move away from the rocket at least 3-5 meters. Spectators, if any, should be at a distance of 10-15 meters. If you plan to entrust the launch to a child under the age of 16, be sure to be near him.

P.S.

Despite the fact that it is not difficult to make the simplest paper rocket, rocket modeling is a serious and interesting sport that requires a lot of work and a lot of time. And also very spectacular. Against the backdrop of growing interest on the part of private companies in space exploration, the popularization of this topic among the population, especially children, is extremely promising. After all, those who have been attracted to space since childhood are more likely to choose it as a field of activity in adulthood. If the topic of space had not been so popular with children in Ukraine several decades ago, then there would hardly be people and companies like us in our country who invest in such a promising industry as space. An event of the level of the Rocket Modeling World Championship could not have taken place - because there would not have been strong teams and a great desire to stir up interest in the industry among the next generations. We have already written about how interesting the Championship promises to be. There, by the way, it will be possible to assemble the rocket yourself from ready-made parts. Come to Lviv, see everything with your own eyes. Detailed information about the event can be found at