Bottle rocket

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For other uses, see Bottle rocket (disambiguation).

Various bottle rockets

Bottle rockets describe any of a large variety of small scale skyrocket. The name derives from people launching them out of bottles and are usually attached to sticks for stabilization so they take a preplanned flight course. These small skyrockets have been made at least since the early decades of the 20th century in many countries including Japan, China, and the former colony of Portuguese Macao. The older type of bottle rocket was typically a black powder skyrocket with a motor about two inches (5 cm) long and up to 0.375 inch (9 mm) diameter, mounted on a thin bamboo splint and often having a small report charge. A later variant utilizes a whistling propellant pressed into a plastic tube. Some varieties have different effects, such ascending spark tails, colored tails, and even small star bursts. Many of these rockets are cheaply mass-produced and can be sold for a relatively low price.

Bottle rockets have been specifically banned in many places, even places which allow most other consumer fire products, because of the perceived degree of danger, particularly fire hazard. In the United States, South Carolina one of the most firework friendly states on the eastern seaboard, bans these rockets, while allowing all other federally legal consumer fireworks.