Rocket Launcher

Note: This is dangerous which the AMA does not approve of this. I would NOT be responsible if any accidents or damage occurs to this. If you know a place like a big flat land with no people on the field. It may be okay but the choice is yours.

Lets begin.......

You will need:
1. a old working junky servo
2. Some bottle rockets
3. solder
4. wires
5. a good or ok working glow plug (idle bar type prefered)
6. A seperate aux. channel on your radio (preferably a landing stwich like on the 6VA or similar)
7. A small straw
8. 2 double A batterys (rechargable if you got a aligator to connect them to charge and a right charger)

Step 1: Tape the 2 double A batteries together (parrell) together, these batteries make 1.5v which the glow plug uses normally. Exceeding or not connecting the batteries parrell (+ on one side and - on the other side) will blow the plug out. Solder the postive of battery 1 to the postive of the battery 2 and leave some sticking out for connecting it to the glow plug and the button.

Step 2: Attach the completed step 1 batteries to the servo case, it doesnt matter what side if you have reversing for that servo. Use CA+ or foam servo tape.

Step 3: Attach the button on the top of the servo like this pic below

The servo arm will need to fully press the button at its maxium throw. If exceeding this, you will damage the servo.

Step 4: CA+ the glow plug onto the servo case like as pictured below

Do not worry about the wires connection as this will proceed later.

Step 5: Solder the wires from the battery (doesnt matter if its the + or - side as long they dont touch each other at this time) onto the plug like mine, I solder the + to the button then on the other side of the button which the eletric flow will flow through when pressed is soldered to the glow plug thread. Then I solder the - from the battery to the glow plug tip like these pics below.

(Back side)

Another back side view

(front view)

Step 6: attach the straw onto the rocket launcher next to the glow plug which the fuse will have to touch the glow plug. If you are building it with a idle bar plug type, I usually loop the fuse around the idle bar plug using a pin which it will stay in place for a sure start.

Step 7: you can make a mounting for the rocket launcher, it depends where you want to mount it, on mine, i use 2 metal strips which 1 of the metal strip is threaded for the screws so i can clamp it on the skids. Make sure the rocket has some space to move out ahead of the heli.

Step 8: press the button and see if the glow plug glows. If it does, its all ready, if its low or no glow, the batteries might need recharging if they are rechargable. If they are not recharagable types, the batteries might be low or dead, solder it off and solder fresh ones on. If this doesnt work, it can be a bad glow plug or a shorted out wiring.

Completed rocket launcher pic

Pick a rocket and go firing <G>

Tips: Some bottle rockets take time for the fuse to burn or sparkle up to the launching point. On mine, in 5 sec after the stwich is flipped then it launches. You can try expermit by cutting the fuse shorter. I would hover the heli pointed in a safe direction. I hover when the heli is at my face level so i can watch the rocket fly while keeping in contact with the heli.

Launcher in firing mode (Aux stwich engaged)

My rocket launcer on my X-CeLL

its aiming at you, watch out <G>

Cool, huh?

Note: I have tried to make a servoless rocket launcher, it was not possible since there is too much restiance in the glow plug which would act like a short to the reciever and the RX battery, it will make a heli go uncontrolable if a short occurs. I found out this will occur because i used a eletric voltameter showing the restiance is too high. I do not recommend to try this in a expermit and it will not be tried.