• 14 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Model Rocket

A model rocket cut open from nose cone to fins, then its engine cut open.

Parts of a Model Rocket

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Nose cone
  2. Body tube
  3. Fins
  4. Launch lug
  5. Shock cord
  6. Parachute
  7. Recovery wadding
  8. Engine mount
  9. Engine
  10. Nozzle
  11. Casing
  12. Propellant
  13. Delay charge
  14. Ejection charge

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of a parachute

All 14 parts on the diagram

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The rocket 9

  1. Nose cone The front of the rocket. Its base fits into the body tube.
  2. Body tube The main tube of the rocket. The other parts fit in it or on it.
  3. Fins Attached at the rear. They keep the rocket stable in flight.
  4. Launch lug A small tube on the body tube. The launch rail passes through it.
  5. Shock cord An elastic cord that ties the nose cone to the body tube.
  6. Parachute Folded inside the body tube. It opens to slow the fall.
  7. Recovery wadding Keeps the ejection charge's hot gas off the parachute.
  8. Engine mount Fixed inside the body tube. It passes the engine's thrust to the rocket.
  9. Engine A small solid-fuel engine. It is used once, then replaced.

The engine 5

  1. Nozzle The opening at the rear of the engine. The burning gases leave through it.
  2. Casing The outer tube of the engine.
  3. Propellant The solid fuel. It burns first and gives the thrust.
  4. Delay charge Burns slowly while the rocket coasts. It gives no thrust.
  5. Ejection charge Fires last. It pushes off the nose cone and the parachute out.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) NASA Glenn Research Center, Beginners Guide to Aeronautics: Model Rockets, https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/model-rockets/ ; Flight of a Model Rocket, https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/flight-of-a-model-rocket/ . (2) Ohio State University Cooperative Extension Service, 4-H Circular 501, Model Rocketry pilot project, https://archive.org/details/4-hmodel-rocketry-pilot-project-501 . (3) Wikipedia, text only: Model rocket, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_rocket . (4) A model rocket maker's beginner booklet, used for names only: https://archive.org/details/estes-alpha-book-of-model-rocketry . Engine mount rests on NASA and the 4-H circular; launch lug on NASA, the circular and the maker; casing on Wikipedia and the circular; every other name on NASA and at least two of the others. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's kit, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a model rocket in two drawings. The first lays the rocket on its side and cuts the body tube open. The second cuts open the engine.

Read the full guide

The rocket

The nose cone sits in the front of the body tube, and the fins are at the rear. The engine slides into the engine mount. Ahead of it come the recovery wadding and the folded parachute. A shock cord ties the nose cone to the body tube. The launch lug is the small tube on the outside.

The engine

Inside the casing, the propellant burns first and its gases leave through the nozzle. The delay charge burns while the rocket coasts. Last, the ejection charge pushes off the nose cone, and the parachute comes out.

  • Some rockets carry a streamer in place of the parachute. The quiz takes that answer too.

Questions and answers

What are the basic parts of a rocket?

For a model rocket: the nose cone, the body tube, the fins, the engine in its engine mount, and a parachute or streamer, held to the rocket by a shock cord. A launch lug on the body tube guides the rocket at launch.

What is inside a model rocket engine?

From the rear: a nozzle, the propellant, a delay charge and an ejection charge, all inside a casing. The engine is used once and then replaced.

What is a launch lug on a model rocket?

A small tube attached to the body tube. The launch rail passes through it and keeps the rocket steady as it leaves the pad.

What does recovery wadding do in a model rocket?

It sits between the engine mount and the parachute. It keeps the hot gas of the ejection charge from damaging the parachute.

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