You'll see these in toy stores, but why not design your own version? You can add weight to the nose, widen the fins, and lengthen the slingshot part to figure out how to get to to soar further.
Materials:
- foam tube (I used a piece of foam from 3/4" pipe insulation, but you can also use a paper towel tube)
- foam sheet
- film canister or other small container to hold the rubber band in place (or tape the rubber bands to the outside using duct tape)
- paper clip
- 5 to 8 rubber bands
- scissors
- hot glue gun
- duct tape
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Punch a small hole in the bottom of a black Kodak film canister. Chain 5 rubber bands together and push one end of the rubber band chain through the hole from the outside, catching it with a paper clip on the inside like a cotter pin so it can’t slip back through the opening.
Hot glue the canister into one end of a 6-inch piece of ¾-inch foam pipe insulation. Check the hardware store for this insulation, which comes in 6 foot. Tape the circumference of the pipe with a few wraps of duct tape. The rubber bands should be hanging out of the foam pipe.
Cut out triangular fins from a foam sheet and attach with hot glue to the opposite end. To launch, hook the rubber band over your thumb, pull back, and release!
Want to make a Paper Slingshot Rocket?
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I think these will fly better because of the stabilizing fins. But, it sounds like a good experiment for you!
This one looks a lot like the “Slingshot Bats” Halloween project. Which one flies better?
Loved the part where you set off the smoke alarm!
Sofia
Two different ways – you can cut out fin shapes from foam sheets and attach them with hot glue or masking tape, or you can put a wide piece of tape (like duct tape) and fold it back on itself the same way we did in the “Straw Rocket” experiment.
How do you make fins for this slingshot rocket.
Try having him hold the rubber band at the very tip of his finger, or even at the tip of a fingernail, so he doesn’t get snapped. You can also use the tip of a stick instead of your finger – younger students seem to like this a lot.
We had fun building this but it has yet to fly more than a few feet. My son is still learning how to shoot it without getting snapped too. Any suggestions?
This seems very fun. can’t wait to try it out.