Industrial Grade Human Powered Paper Rocket Launcher

I built two human powered paper rocket launchers which I bring to Maker Faires and to music festivals and other gatherings. People of all ages (see videos below) love making and launching rockets made from paper. 

I call this an "industrial grade" launcher because I designed it to be "adult proof". An adult can jump on the launchers as hard as they possibly can and it won't break. It took me several attempts to find the rigtht kind of fabric that works best. 

Thousands of people both young and old have made paper rockets and launched them with this device. The paper rockets can be used over and over. You get to keep the rocket you make. Best of all, the rockets, when well made, fly far. In the videos below you'll see a tennis court in the distance - - some people are able to consistently launch their paper rocket into the tennis courts. 

I use two different paper rocket templates. One uses a full sheet of paper ("cardstock" weight) and the other uses half a sheet of paper. When I'm at a large event like a musical festival or at Maker Faire, I'll use the template that requires only a half sheet of paper because the paper rockets are faster to make. In the videos below people are making paper rockets from a half sheet of paper. 

So many people have asked me to create build-it-yourself plans for this launcher. I've started working on those plans and will share them here when I'm done. If you want me to "add you to the waitlist" then send me an email and mention you'd like plans. tom@tomheck.com