Effect of Fins on Bottle Rockets and Notes on Fins
The goal of the fins is to insure the stability of the rocket, by pulling the center of pressure (CP) at about 1 diameter of the rocket under the center of gravity (CG). To do that, we can act either on the area of the fins or on their position toward the center of gravity. The lower the fins will be, the less the area of the fins will be important.
Minimizing the area of the fins is important because, if they enhance the stability of the rocket, the fins have a negative influence on the performances. …