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Record flight It was a nice calm sunday , november 7th, 2004, on the meadow of the family Kloosterman in Friesland (the Netherlands). We appreciate this location because of its wideness and of course the hospitality of the fam. Kloosterman. Today is our last chance to set a new water-rocket- world- record for this year. After setting up all rocket stuff my son Floris takes his position on 30 meter, to operate the valve- cord in order to pressure the rocket . The spectators and myself take 100 meter distance for the best (camera) view of this world record try. Floris pulls the cord, looking through his binoculars to the pressure gauge. At the very moment he reads 22 bar, he calls "Nu" and pulls the launch-cord immediately . The Red Arrow III is launched with a smooth "bang"sound. While filming the event as good as possible, the rocket has reached the top of his parabolic flight and only a second later the chute comes out. This is always a moment of great relief. The landing takes place at a distance of 300 meter. The "Perfect-flite" altitude meter beeps 375 meter. At that date the known world record was 379 meter, so we came just short of the world record but at least we scored a Dutch record!. Main figures of this flight: Rocket volume ca. 12 liter Nozzle diam 22 mm Pessure 22 bar Weight empty 1.2 kg Water 3 liter Time to appogee 8 second Total flight time 77 seconds Appogee 375 meter Recovery system pneumatic (see description below) Payload Perfectflite altitude meter in PS foam (to increase crash survival chance)

Chute recovery and payload The top of the rocket contains three different systems, the pneumatic chute release mechanism, an altitude measurement Perfectflite and a digital camera with a repeating timer trigger that takes pictures at regular interval. The camera system is recently added and was not part of the record flight "See some in flight pictures from the on board camera."

In 2003 we build the Red Arrow I, a 3 liter rocket. This is the rocket my son Floris is holding. No reinforcements, and a pressure of 12 bar. We won a rocket contest of our company Philips in Drachten . The max. altitude was 197 meter. 2004 april Red arrow II was a 6 liter rocket reinforced with kevlar. With a pressure of 22 bar it flew 300 meter high. This is the rocket in the middle of the picture. 2004 september Red arrow III had is first flight diameter parachute; 95cm.

A water rocket is not more than a enlarged fizz-lemonade- bottle; In this case, 9 Spa-bottles enforced with Kevlar and Epoxy- resin. New and not explained before and therefore more interesting for colleagues rocket builders is the working of the pneumatic-chute-ejecting system. First the advantages of the system.: * No electronics, no battery * No Tommy timer * "time operating" system (most reliable system) * delay-time up to 15 seconds is no problem. * Only one moving part in the construction (release lever and spring) Then the disadvantages; * the system needs space for the balloon. A Spa-bottle with a diameter of 87mm is enough, nevertheless a 28mm tube (FTC) is too small to stow a balloon. How it works: The parachute is carefully folded and stowed in a plywood box that fits in the rocket nose. The parachute is put under pressure by a rubber band ( not visual on the sketch) A hatch ,that keeps the chute inside, is locked by a pin on a plywood lever , that is pushed down by a pressured balloon. ( made of bicycle tire) On the moment that the rocket is launched , a piece of hose (with a valve) is pulled out and the air is steaming out. After 9 second a spring under the lever releases the hatch and the chute comes out. The delay-time of 9 seconds is achieved by a pressure of 1 bar and a narrowing in the release-tube.