Rain, rain go away, and come again a day when I don’t want to launch a model rocket! We all know what a perfect launch day feels like. A warm day with no wind and clear skies is meant for launching rockets. More often than not, we do not get such ideal weather.
Can you launch a model rocket in the rain? It is not a good idea to launch a model rocket in the rain. A slight drizzle should not cause too much trouble, but even a moderate rain could interfere with your ignition system, damage your rocket, and impact the visibility of the launch.
The Mojave Desert is common launch location for model rockets not only because it is isolated and open, but also because it gets very little wind and rain. But most of us don’t have access to such an ideal location. Continue reading to find out why you shouldn’t launch when it is raining, and what you can do if you want to give it a try.
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Why You Shouldn’t Launch in the Rain
Common sense tells us that launching a model rocket in the rain is not a good idea, but just how bad of an idea is it? And why exactly should you avoid it? I will take you piece by piece through the launch process to explain why.
The Rain and Your Igniter
A model rocket igniter works by supplying heat to the rocket fuel which then ignites. When you hit the launch button on the launch controller, the system will begin to heat up the igniter that you put in the bottom of the rocket.
As you know, electricity and water do not play well together, which is why an electronic igniter is susceptible to malfunctioning on a rainy day.
Rain can cause a short in electrical connections that would prevent the model rocket from launching if it gets inside the launch control. This is disappointing, but it is not the worst that can happen with a faulty igniter.
A malfunctioning igniter could also cause the rocket to prematurely launch. This is a very dangerous situation as the rocket could launch while you are next to it, or even while you are touching it, which would lead to you becoming seriously injured.
Your launch equipment will not thank you for launching it in the rain. After shorting, the igniter would most likely be damaged, and you would probably have to buy a new one.
The good news is that because the launch remote uses batteries, it is very unlikely to cause a severe electric shock under any circumstances.
The Rain and Your Motor
Surprisingly, the motor is unlikely to be heavily impacted by the rain unless it becomes completely saturated. The thick cardboard tube that holds the motor and the clay nozzle and plug do a decent job of keeping out incidental moisture.
If the propellant inside the motor became wet, it would be very dangerous to launch it.
If you’re motor is professionally made and you are loading your rocket under cover, the propellant is unlikely to get wet.
If you’re launching with any rocket that is not commercially made, the chances are higher that moisture will get into the propellant and cause the motor to CATO. Save your experimental motors for a dry day.
The Rain and Your Rocket
Your rocket could also become damaged by the rain. Most model rockets are made out of paper tubes similar to the kind you find inside of a roll of paper towels, but there are some that are made out of plastic. The fins and nose cone are usually made out of wood or plastic.
If your model rocket is made out of paper, you’ve probably had to apply a paint job to the outside of your rocket. A well sealed paint job will go a long way to protecting your rocket from the rain before you launch, but after the nose comes ejects off and the recovery system activates, the rocket will be open to the rain.
Rain pouring into the inside of the rocket will cause significant water damage.
Additionally, after the rocket lands in the wet grass, there is a high likelihood of more moisture entering the inside of the rocket’s body both from the rain and the grass.
The water droplets will cause the paper to swell and damage your rocket from the inside out. Extensive water damage could render your rocket useless.
Wooden fins can also get damaged by rain if they have not been fully and expertly sanded and sealed. Water is not good for wood, especially thin pieces of balsa wood.
If your rocket is 100% plastic, then the rain will not damage the plastic, but it could still damage a paint job or ruin your stickers.
The Rain and Your Recovery Device
The rain will also cause problems with your recovery device, especially if that recovery device is a parachute.
A heavy rain could saturate the parachute which would decrease the parachute’s effectiveness, or a heavy rain could cause the parachute to cause it to partially collapse.
Either way, the rocket would plummet to the ground at a faster speed than you planned.
The Rain and Your Electronics
If you equip your rocket with a camera, altimeter, or other electronic device, you will also have to think about how they will operate in the rain.
A camera like the GoPro Hero 7 is waterproof and will not be damaged by any amount of rain, but the keychain camera is not that durable. Water can and will get inside of the body of the camera if the rain is heavy, and it could cause the camera to stop working.
Equipment installed in an electronics bay will be less likely to get ruined by the damp conditions as the electronics bay will do a good job of protecting the equipment.
The Importance of Visibility
For the most entertaining and safe launch of your model rocket, you’re going to want a sky of endless blue so that you will be able to see the launch, flight, and recovery. You will want to see that last moment when your rocket disappears from sight.
And then, you’re going to want to watch the model rocket reappear, observe the recovery system activate, and watch where the rocket lands so that you do not lose it and so that you are not unexpectedly in the way of it landing.
Keeping track of the model rocket to make sure that it doesn’t CATO or fly off course is essential to safety. The NAR safety code insists that a model rocket should never be shot into a cloud.
A rainy day is not going to have the same level of visibility as a fair weathered day. You may not be able to see if the model rocket suddenly veers off course or if its motor fails. You won’t know if you need to take cover or where you should run to get out of its way.
First of all, clouds will be covering the entire sky. You could easily lose sight of the rocket in the clouds. You won’t be able to watch the full launch or be able to look out for the consequences of any failure that occurs when the rocket is out of sight
It will also be darker. It will simply be harder to see the rocket. In addition, a streamer will not be able to catch the sunlight and glitter to show you where your rocket is.
Finally, and perhaps more importantly, have you ever tried looking up when it is raining outside? It is not a pleasant experience. A hand up above your eyes or a hat might help, but you are going to get water in your eyes for sure.
This will prevent you from being able to see you the rocket as it reaches higher altitudes and maintain eye contact with it as it descends. It is unsafe and does not make for a satisfying launch.
Dangers of Launching during a Storm
All of the reasons I’ve given for not launching in the rain are even more relevant for storm like conditions. Being outside during a lightning storm isn’t a great idea any way, and it is especially not a great idea to be standing in the middle of an empty field next to a pointy rod.
Lightning storms are dangerous and unpredictable. If there is a storm outside, you shouldn’t be outside at all, and definitely not launching model rockets into them.
How Wind Affects the Model Rocket
The rain is not the only thing you have to worry about when launching on a rainy day. Winds can cause the model rocket to weathercock during its flight or drift after its recovery system is activated.
Rainy days are potentially windy days, and you do not want to be launching on a windy day. The NAR prohibits the launch of any rocket if the wind speed is greater than 20 miles per hour because it is unsafe.
Many people avoid a launch if the wind speed is greater than 10 miles per hour because they don’t want to risk their rocket and waste a motor on a subpar launch.
Weathercocking
Weathercocking occurs when aerodynamic forces cause the model rocket to move into a horizontal position and fly into the wind. This is the same force that makes it possible for a weathervane to indicate which way the wind is blowing.
Weathercocking makes it very difficult to predict where and how the rocket will land. This is a potentially dangerous situation. You rocket could fly into someone on descent, and it would do it at higher speeds than normal because the recovery system will not operate as well in the rain.
Drift
Even if the wind does not cause the rocket to weathercock, it can make recovery unpredictable, especially if you are using a parachute recovery system. This is because the wind will cause the model rocket to drift unpredictably. It can go further away than you would expect, or perhaps closer and faster than you would expect.
A drifting rocket can be dangerous to bystanders, but it is also far more likely that you will lose your rocket. It can become stuck in trees or power lines that you thought were outside of your launch site, or you can simply lose sight of it and not be able to find it again.
What about Snow?
Snow will not be any better for your model rocket than rain. Snow turns to water when it falls upon something that is warmer than 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and like rain, snow usually comes with high winds.
If you’re launching in the snow, you would also have to worry about the cold temperatures impacting the motor’s performance, and plastic parachutes often have a hard time opening when it is cold, although sprinkling with baby powder can help this.
That being said, plenty of people launch in cold temperatures, but most people avoid a snowy day for all the same reasons they avoid a rainy day.
How to Launch in the Rain
A drizzling sporadic rain may not be enough to persuade you to cancel your launch day plans, and a little bit of rain won’t cause much trouble for your model rocket. The real question is whether launching is worth it to you. You’re more likely to have a better time and a better overall launch if you wait for a day that isn’t rainy.
If you decide to go ahead with your model rocket launch even though it is raining, there are a couple of measures you can take to help it go as smoothly as possible.
Create a Dry Area for Prepping
To avoid getting your rocket and launch equipment needlessly wet, be sure you have an area that is dry where you can work on your rocket before launching it. This could be under an outdoor tent, a pavilion, or a gazebo. Any place that will keep your rocket and your equipment out of the rain when it isn’t being used.
Set up a folding table where you can work on prepping your rocket so that you
do not need to set anything on the damp grass.
Umbrellas and Ponchos
Bring umbrellas and wear raincoats or ponchos. This will keep you dry and comfortable, but you can also keep your equipment and rocket dry while you set it up by using an umbrella. You can use ponchos or tarps if you have them to cover equipment that is not being kept under cover.
The idea is that you want to keep the equipment as dry as possible for as long
as possible. If you keep your launch remote under your coat or umbrella, it
will be less likely to get damaged by the rain.
Use a Streamer
On a rainy day, especially if there is wind, you would be better off using a recovery streamer instead of a parachute. The streamer will allow the model rocket to reach the ground faster, and the model rocket will drift less.
This means you will be able to recover your rocket quickly and get it out of the rain as fast as possible.
Test Launch
It might be worth doing a test fight with a low powered motor to see how the rocket responds in the weather conditions without the risks involved in using high powered motors. This will allow you to see if the rocket will respond negatively to the rain or if the recovery system will be inhibited by it.
However, using a low powered motor in windy conditions is not a good idea as the likelihood of weathercocking or other irregular flight paths increases when the model rocket does not leave the launch rod at a fast enough speed to overcome the wind.
Low Altitude Launch
When it is raining and there is significant cloud cover, it is better to stick to low altitude flights. Launching your rockets to lower altitudes will help with those visibility issues I mentioned earlier.
You will be less likely to lose sight of your rocket among the clouds, and this will help make your launch safer.
Select your Rocket Carefully
In order to prevent your rocket from becoming damaged in the rain, select a model rocket that is made out of all plastic. Plastic rockets hold up to water much better than paper and wood pieces.
Also, don’t launch with your best model rocket or a model rocket that you really care about because it will be more likely to become damaged or to get lost on the way down. Save your favorites for a fairer weathered day.
The Takeaway
Launching a model rocket on a rainy day is not ideal. It is not as safe as launching in fair weather, and you won’t get the same enjoyment or quality launches as if you waited for better weather.
If you do launch in the rain, make sure you are prepared for it by prepping in a dry area, bringing ponchos and umbrellas, and selecting your rocket carefully.
No matter what it isn’t the best day to launch a favorite or brand new model rocket.
Build Your Own Launch Controller
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