Rocket Launchers & The Rapture
The rocket launcher Sunday school lesson is a really fun one to do but it does require a lot of time preparation and some getting your hands dirty.
It is an advanced lesson that takes a lot of prep and isn’t something that you can throw together on a Saturday night. It can be well worth the effort if you take the time however.
This lesson is best taught in two or three different lessons over the course of as many weeks. The first week you can have the kids make the rockets (see the plans below). They can design, decorate and even name the rockets while you talk to them about the parallels between carefully designing their rocket and carefully living their lives.
The next Sunday you actually will be shooting the rockets and you will find that some of them fly extremely well, some of them fly mediocre and some of them are absolute disasters on takeoff.
The third week option is if you want to try to build the rocket launcher itself in class. While I do not recommend this due to my own inability to get it done in a short period of time perhaps you would feel comfortable doing so.
You liken the rocket to how people build and live their lives. Some people take care of their souls by praying and reading their Bibles and keeping sin out of their lives while others are much more cavalier. When the rapture takes place (similar to when the rocket launcher shoots) you will immediately find out the quality of how you built your life. The launcher never changes, the launcher always shoots the same, the launcher doesn’t care what you look like, how big you are, how small you are or anything like that, it always performs the same. This of course, is like our God. He is the same yesterday today and forever.
I have the plans posted below but prepare to spend several hour and likely several trips to your local Home Depot to assembly this.
CONSTRUCTION:
Description: Students construct paper rockets and launch them with an air pressure rocket launcher.
Materials Needed:
• Paper
• Cellophane Tape
• Scissors
• Rulers
• Pencils
• Rocket forms (short lengths of ½” PVC tubes)
• Launcher
• Electric air compressor or hand pump
Time Needed:
• Launcher Construction – approximately 1-2 hours to construct
• Rocket Construction – approximately ½ hour each
The air pressure launcher is made from Schedule 40 PVC plumbing parts available at most hardware stores. Refer to the diagrams for the specific parts needed. Clerks at the hardware store can help select the parts for you from the diagrams. Be sure to get pressure pipes for the 3″, 3/4″, and 1 /2″ tubing.
Using a saw, cut three pieces from the 3″ pipe. The pieces should be 17, 6, and 5 inches long. PVC cuts very easily. Remove any burrs from the cut and clean the pipe if it is dirty.
Using a drill and bit, drill a hole into the center of the 3″ end cap. The size of the hole will depend upon the diameter of the tire valve stem. The hole should be just smaller than the diameter of the rubber stem so that the stem seals itself to the cap when it is pushed through the hole from the inside out.
Join the end cap to the 17-inch long 3″ pipe segment with PVC cement. First clean both joining surfaces with PVC Purple Primer Cleaner. Make sure you are working in a well ventilated area away from open flame. When dry, coat the surfaces with PVC Cement and push the parts together immediately. Following the same cementing procedure, join one elbow to the other end of the pipe. Next, join the 5-inch long 3″ pipe to the elbow. Join the remaining large elbow to the other end of this pipe segment. Be sure that both elbows are aimed in the same direction. The large tubes will serve as the launcher base and the pieces must not be twisted or the launcher will rock when it is being used. To insure proper alignment, set the base on the floor before the glue has set and press the second elbow until it is properly aligned.
Cement the 6-inch long 3″ pipe to the elbow. Attach the 3″ X 2″ Coupling and the 2″ X 3/4″ Flush Bushing with cement to the other end of the tube.
Cut two 2″ long pieces of 3/4″ tube and prepare them for cementing. Join one to the flush bushing or one end and to the valve on the other end. Cement the second tube to the other end of the valve.
Cement the 3/4″ elbow (with outside threads on one end) to the end of the second small tube. Screw the second elbow on to the first. Do not cement this elbow. It needs to be able to be rotated.
Cement the 3/4″ X 1/2″ Flush Bushing into the open end of the second elbow.
Cut an 18″ long piece of 1/2″ pipe and push it into the elbow. It can be cemented if you wish. This is the launch tube.
For extra strength, you can wrap the tubes with nylon filament tape. This is optional but recommended.
Tip: I have found that installing a pressure gauge on the rocket launcher helped me determine the pressure that was being pumped in to the launcher. This is not necessary and is not included in this design but I am glad I did it.
Rocket Construction:
Use the instruction sheet for constructing the paper rockets. Have your students roll paper around the short lengths of 1/2″ PVC tube. The tubes serve as forms for constructing the rockets. For best performance, the paper should be snug on the form but able to slide easily. Make sure students firmly attach the fins and nose cone for their rockets. Poorly attached nose cones will blow off the rocket, leaving the rocket behind. Poorly made rocket bodies may explode into confetti while on the launch pad.
Tip: when making the rockets, I have found that they flew much better when I made them a bit nose heavy by putting a ball of Plato at the very tip of the rocket. I put this on before installing the nosecone. It made an enormous difference in how the rocket flew.
(See the design illustrated further in this document)
Launch Procedures:
Follow the instructions for constructing paper rockets. When the rockets are ready, follow these instructions for the launch.
- Select a clear field for the launch. Although the rockets are made of paper, they can still cause injury if someone is struck by them.
- Set up the launcher and orient the base so that the launch tube can point straight upward. If the wind is blowing, you will want to aim the angle of the tube slightly into the wind.
- Connect the air compressor or hand pump to the tire valve on the launcher. With the valve closed, pump the launcher up to 30 pounds of pressure. Observe how far the rocket goes and in which direction. Make adjustments to the aiming and pump the launcher to 50 pounds of pressure. Again, test fire a rocket and make any final aiming adjustments.
- Load the rocket on the launch rod. Clear the landing site from bystanders.
Tip: Some teachers have reported better flight performance with low-pressure launches than with high-pressure launches. Aerodynamic drag on the rocket increases with velocity. At higher initial velocities, rocket fins may be distorted, leading to even greater drag and diminished performance.
