Landing Systems
Stabilizing fins cause the rocket to fly nose-first which will give significantly higher speed, but they will also cause it fall with a significantly higher velocity than it would if it tumbled to the ground, and this may damage the rocket or whoever or whatever it strikes upon landing.
Some water rockets have parachute or other recovery system to help prevent problems. However these systems can suffer from malfunctions. This is often taken into account when designing rockets. Rubber bumpers, Crumple zones, and safe launch practices can be utilized to minimize damage or injury caused by a falling rocket.
Another possible recovery system involves simply using the rocket's fins to slow its descent and is sometimes called backward sliding. By increasing fin size, more drag is generated. If the centre of mass is placed forward of the fins, the rocket will nose dive. In the case of super-roc or back-gliding rockets, the rocket is designed such that the relationship between centre of gravity and the centre of pressure of the empty rocket causes the fin-induced tendency of the rocket to tip nose down to be counteracted by the air resistance of the long body which would cause it to fall tail down, and resulting in the rocket falling sideways, slowly.
Read more about this topic: Water Rocket
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