Choosing an Air Pump for your Rocket
The best pumps for use with AntiGravity rockets are:
1. A vertical hand powered pump with a stand-on base. The barrel should be 1.25 inches diameter, and have a 20 inch stroke. We always recommend The Rocket Pump from AntiGravity because of its built-in pressure reservoir canister and extreme durability.
or
2. A cordless electric air compressor with a reservoir tank and pressure regulator that can supply air at 90 PSI . One recommendation is the Ryobi One+18V Cordless compressor with a 6-ampere-hour battery. It is much more expensive than the Rocket Pump, but here at AntiGravity we use this one a lot. On a typical workday we will launch ten or more 3-stage rockets, which is a lot of exercise (2000 + pumps). Don't get the type of compressor without a reservoir tank that is meant for filling up tires to a preset cutoff pressure. That type can both underfill and/or overfill the rocket, resulting in poor flights or burst bottles.
Bad Pumps -
Air mattress pump - pressure is too low.
Good Pumps -
Generic pump - has 1.5 inch barrel and a 20 inch stroke. Difficult to pump, but useable.
Tiny bike pump - Takes too long to fill a rocket.
Name brand pump - has a 1.25 inch barrel and a 20 inch stroke. Good performance and relatively good reliability.
Foot operated pump - pressure too low, pumping is cumbersome, high failure rate.
Cordless electric compressor with a reservoir tank and pressure regulator - A good pump for launching many rockets in a day, or if you tend to get tired pumping up the rockets by hand. Make sure that it is the type that has its own pressure tank and regulator, not the tire filling type with no tank and a cutoff pressure setting.
Electric Plug-In air compressors - too long extension cord required.
The Rocket Pump from AntiGravity - Best. You'll get the highest flights for your efforts. The durability and pressure reservoir canister make all the difference.