Previously, the piston head was glued onto the inner tube of the piston launcher, and this had one big negative drawback. It would stop the rocket dead cold. So all the velocity that the rocket had gained while the cylinder was filling up was lost. By making the piston head detached from the inner rod/tube, the rocket wouldn't stop anymore. The result is actually a higher lift-off velocity and a more stable launch.

The Sunward Piston Launcher Kit comes with three piston launchers (all the same size). Why three? Sunward felt concerned that they wouldn't last very long. I think they are mistaken.

The piston launchers will get sooty and dirty from the launch. But they are easily cleaned out after a launch. If you clean them good, you'll find that they do last quite some time. I've had one piston launcher that I used for about 10 years.

Therefore, having three for one low price is a very nice bonus. You can have three piston launchers ready to go, and you won't have to spend valuble daylight hours cleaning them while you are on the launch range. It will save you some time that you can be using to launch a lot of rockets!

The only drawback is that the thin-wall rings are a little brittle until you have them glued into the piston-head cylinder. Once they are glued in, they make a very lightweight piston-head that increases the efficiency of the system because the weight is reduced.

The base is only needed if you are launching your rockets from a hard surface, like concrete or asphalt. If you are launching from grass, you will need a 1/2-inch diameter wood dowel to hold the piston in an upright position.

The base is made from 1/4 inch thick plywood. The parts are cut with a laser and are designed to be assembled like a simple puzzle. The interlocking tabs are very precise, so this simple box goes together in about three minutes. The piston itself slides through the hole in the bottom of the box and does not require any glue to hold it upright. That way, you can change out pistons in a few seconds between each launch.

Q. How do you clean them out between flights?

A. I just sand off the soot residue with a piece of fine-grit sandpaper. For the insides of the tubes, wrap some sandpaper around a wood dowel so you can get down deep in the tubes. You want everything to slide easily with no gritty sounds.

Model Rocket Design and Construction
Product No. 00112

Want additional tips on how to make your rockets fly higher? Also, how much money can you save by building your own designs instead of from a commercial kit? You'll have money left over to buy motors to fly it! Learn the tricks and tips that the experts use to design rockets that are both lightweight and durable.

"I wanted to note that even though I could buy the same kits cheaper elsewhere, I choose to support you because of the detailed information you provide about the kits as well as the video clips with information on how to build the rockets. Thank you." -- Shannon Callahan