Awesome Rockets

Animator yukon09 drew inspiration from 2001: A Space Odyssey to create this captivating cinematic. Made entirely using Kerbal Space Program mods, the fan film pays tribute to some classic space vehicles from Kubrick’s masterpiece, including an updated take on the Pan Am Space Clipper that brought passengers to and from the space station.

R/C aircraft are typically powered by electric motors or gas engines. James from ProjectAir has built a few R/C planes that are powered by rocket motors. His latest creation supersizes the idea with a much more powerful rocket and a lightweight plane with an enormous wingspan. The design was inspired by a basic balsa wood plane from Vintage Model Company.

Private space exploration company SpaceX has been launching rockets from Florida’s Cape Canaveral for more than a decade. Hazegrayart put together this captivating digital animation, which shows each launch attempt through the end of 2023, and does a great job demonstrating the increasing frequency of blast-offs. (Thanks, Frenk!)

James from ProjectAir is on a quest to make R/C airplanes as fast as possible. After honing his skills in a few other experiments, he took an off-the-shelf model of an SR-71 Blackbird and tricked it out with a multi-stage propulsion upgrade, including powerful electric fans and a model rocket engine strapped to its back.

It’s not been officially revealed as of yet, but an eagle-eyed shopper in Taipei spotted this box for LEGO ICONS set 10341, based on NASA’s Artemis Space Launch System. If the box art is to be believed, the 3601-piece set will let you build a detailed model of the rocket’s various components and its launch tower. Rumor has it the set will drop 5.15.24 for $259.99.

We’ve seen a skateboard powered by a pulsejet; now, here’s one that uses a turbine. After explaining how turbine engines work, Integza created a replica of the turbine used by the infamous V-2 rocket. He had the main part fabricated by JLC3DP and then made a set of reduction gears to increase torque. The turbine spins when exposed to high-pressure gas.

We’ve seen some of Bob “Rocketman” Maddox’s insane rides before. This vehicle is an improved version of his jet-propelled skateboard that he can stand on while riding. This pulsejet-powered board has handlebars to hang onto, though the helmet-less Robert uses one hand to hold onto his selfie stick. The lack of steering and brakes makes it even more sketchy.

The furthest an NFL quarterback can throw a football is around 75 yards. Leave it to the guys from Dude Perfect to blow away that number by adding a little rocket power. With a bit of help from black powder, they can easily throw a ball from end zone to end zone and beyond. After that, they wrapped up their football episode with a series of tricky obstacles.

Inspired by how hummingbirds hover in flight, Works by Design wanted to see if he could build a flying machine that lifts off vertically and stays aloft by flapping its wings. It uses compressed gas for propulsion and a custom-built air motor to move its wings. It’s not an efficient method of flight, but it was cool to observe the engineering process.

After showing off a simple rocket built from a soda bottle, Integza was inspired to make a more powerful see-through rocket. He built its combustion chamber from a glass cylinder with a custom-made metal swirl injector. Along the way, you’ll learn how fuels and oxidizers work and a little about turbochargers and top-fuel dragsters.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket can land back on Earth after lifting payloads into space. Project Horizon has now replicated this impressive engineering feat on a much smaller scale. It’s hard enough to keep a model rocket balanced as it launches, let alone being capable of a controlled descent like this. It took 32 test flights to get it right. Onboard footage here.

Blast off every time you sit down to doodle with this astronaut and rocket eraser set from Suck UK. The package includes a monochrome astronaut holding onto a silver pencil while on a spacewalk from their bright red rocketship — a great little gift for anyone into space exploration.

We’re amazed by the things that people can make out of cardboard. In this video from The S, he shows how he built a massive toy blaster that fires a trio of rocket-shaped projectiles. The video also serves as a great demonstration of the bargain-priced Wainlux L6 laser cutter, which makes quick work of the precision paper cuts.

Those CO2 cartridges used to carbonate beverages store a lot of pressure in a small space. Inspired by the Backyard Scientist’s CO2-powered rocket, Sam Barker wanted to see if the same forces could lift a model airplane into the sky. He used lightweight plastic to 3D print the plane, which he quickly wrecked by flying it into a brick wall.

While the idea of a rocket-powered kayak sounds entertaining, that’s not what the guys at FliteTest made in this video. What they actually created was an electric-fan-powered kayak and built its engine to look like a rocket straight from the ACME Corporation, where Wile E. Coyote buys all his gadgets.

James from Project Air likes to make things that go fast. Recently, he produced a series of experimental builds to see which method of propulsion would make the fastest possible LEGO vehicle. Which will hit the top speed? Multiple LEGO motors, rocket engines, or a brushless motor from an R/C sports car?