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3D-Printed Model Rocket (C6-5)

A 300 mm printed rocket with a parachute. Making bigger fins so it flies straight.

  • 3D Printing
BuildingBUILD LOG #09

// What I'm building

⚠ GROWN-UP BUILD ONLY Launch only with a grown-up, following the model rocket safety code, at an open field. It uses a store-bought C6-5 model rocket motor. No flying until a grown-up checks it's stable.

A 3D-printed model rocket made for a store-bought C6-5 motor, with a parachute to bring it back down.

It's 300 mm tall (50 mm nose + 250 mm body) and 24 mm wide. With the motor it weighs 56.34 g, or 66.34 g with a 10 g parachute.

To see if it will fly straight, I found the balance point: about 190–195 mm from the nose tip.

  • 300 × 24 mm, 3D-printed
  • 56.34 g (66.34 g with parachute)
  • Store-bought C6-5 motor
  • Plan: four 30 × 30 mm fins
MODEL ROCKET · SIDE VIEW BALANCE PTNEW FINS 30×30 300 mm × 24 mm · 3D-PRINTEDGROWN-UP LAUNCH ONLY

// Build Log

  1. Try #1 — first print

    WHAT I TRIED
    Printed the rocket with four small square fins (about 20 × 19 mm, 1 mm thick). Balanced it on my finger and measured with a ruler.
    WHAT BROKE
    Only borderline stable, so it's not ready to fly. The fins are too small.
    THE FIX
    Try adding weight to the nose.

  2. Try #2 — nose weight

    WHAT I TRIED
    Taped small rocks, then tiny 0.26 g magnets, onto the nose (just tape, no hot glue yet) and balanced it again.
    WHAT BROKE
    It helped a little, but not enough.
    THE FIX
    Make bigger fins instead!

  3. Try #3 — bigger fins

    WHAT I TRIED
    Redesigning the fins: four rectangle fins about 30 × 30 mm, 90° apart. Everything else stays the same.
    WHAT BROKE
    Not printed yet.
    THE FIX
    Reprint the fins, then do a final stability check.
NEXT STEP

Redesign the fins, then do a final stability check. No launch until a grown-up checks it — then only with a grown-up, following the model rocket safety code, at an open field.