Thames & Kosmos AIR Plus Water Power, 555001 Experiment Manual

EXPERIMENT MANUAL

Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizerstr. 5-7, 70184 Stuttgart, Germany | [phone] | www.kosmos.de
Thames & Kosmos, 301 Friendship St., Providence, RI, 02903, USA | 1-800-587-2872 | www.thamesandkosmos.com
Thames & Kosmos UK LP, 20 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3HE , UK | 01580 713000 | www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk

AIR+WATER power | Safety Information

WARNING! Not suitable for children under 3 years. Choking hazard — small parts may be
swallowed or inhaled. Strangulation hazard — long cords may become wrapped around
the neck.

Keep packaging and instructions as they contain important information.

DEAR PARENTS:

• This is a toy that has been designed for children over 8 years of age. It is not suitable for
children under 3 years of age. It contains small parts that a child could swallow, and long
tubes, which may become wrapped around the neck. It must be kept out of the reach of
very young children.

• Discuss the safety warnings and possible risks involved with the children before allowing
them to build these models.

Contents | AIR+WATER power

Parts List ................................................................................................................................................ 1

Learning about Gears .................................................................................................................... 2-4

Learning about Sprockets .............................................................................................................. 5

Tips and Tricks for Building the Models ...................................................................................... 6

The Main Components ..................................................................................................................... 7

Assembly Notes ................................................................................................................................... 8

Operating Notes .................................................................................................................................. 9

Air+Water Turbine Models ............................................................................................................. 10

Air+Water Turbine Models (with water-recycling system)

How to Operate ............................................................................................................................ 11

Model 1 Cutting Machine .................................................................................................. 12-13

Model 2 Grinding Machine ................................................................................................... 14-15

Model 3 Truck ........................................................................................................................ 16-17

Model 4 Excavator ................................................................................................................ 18 -19

Model 5 Radar Car ................................................................................................................ 20-21

Model 6 Tank .......................................................................................................................... 22-23

Model 7 Antique Car .............................................................................................................24-25

Water-Jet Propelled Models (without water-recycling system)

Water-Jet Vehicles ........................................................................................................................ 26

Jet Propulsion Experiment ........................................................................................................ 27

Model 8 Rocket Car ............................................................................................................. 28-29

Model 9 Excavator ............................................................................................................... 30-31

Model 10 Heavy Motorbike ................................................................................................ 32-33

Model 11 Helicopter .............................................................................................................34-35

Model 12 Radar Car ..............................................................................................................36-37

Model 13 Forklift ....................................................................................................................38-39

Model 14 Antique Car .......................................................................................................... 40-42

Model 15 Propeller Aircraft .............................................................................................. 43-45

1

AIR+WATER power | Parts List

No

1

PRESSURIZED AIR+WATER TANK

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

1

PARTS NAMES

WATER STO RAGE TANK

WHEEL AND TIRE

SHORT FRAME

PUMP

AIR+WATER TURBINE

CAP FOR AIR+WATER TANK

NOZZLE FOR AIR+WATER TANK

WASHER

CHAIN UNIT

90 DEGREE CONVERTER - L

SHORT AXLE

11-HOLE ROD

5

10

11

PCS

1

1

2

3

1

1

1

1

1

80

2

1

1

x 80

No

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

PARTS NAMES

LONG FRAME

LONG AXLE

EXTRA LONG AXLE

ONE-WAY SWITCH

CURVED ELBOW ROD

90 DEGREE CONVERTER - R

LARGE (L) SECURITY NUT

AXLE LOCK

5-HOLE ROD

7-HOLE DUAL ROD

SMALL (S) SECURITY NUT

ANCHOR PIN

O RING LARGE

18

x 4

PCS

5

2

2

1

4

2

2

4

2

2

2

20

2

No

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

PARTS NAMES

LARGE PULLEY

SQUARE FRAME

SMALL SPROCKET

SMALL GEAR

MEDIUM SPROCKET

BASE PLATE

LONG ROD

PART SEPARATOR TOOL

TUBE B, 120 CM

MEDIUM GEAR

LAUNCHER

LARGE SPROCKET

TUBE A, 200 CM

PCS

2

1

2

2

2

1

1

1

1

2

1

2

1

TOTA L 165

22

26

28

x 2

2319

x 2

x 1

x 2x 2

12

20

x 1

x 1x 1

2

6

13

x 1

14

21

x 4

x 2

24

25

x 2x 2

32

27

x 20

x 2

x 1

x 1

3

x 1

x 5

7

15

x 2

x 1

x 2

4

8

16

x 2

17

37

33

34

x 1

36

38 39

x 2

29

x 2

30

x 2

31

x 2

x 1

35

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 3

9

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 2

2

Learning about Gears | AIR+WATER power

Gears are wheels with teeth on them. The teeth, or cogs, of one gear mesh with the teeth of another gear to
transmit force between them. A combination of two or more gears is called a transmission, or gear train. You can
see transmissions with meshing gears inside old toys or old clocks. Gearboxes can be found inside the transmis­sion system of cars, which combine meshing gears of dierent sizes. This allows the car’s driver to easily change
between dierent speeds.

Do you know how gears work? You can learn how gears work and why they are useful by reading this manual and
building the models in this kit that use gears. The building blocks in this kit were designed based on the number
ten and its multiples, including the size of the components, the distance between the holes, or the unique gears.
This makes it easy to both assemble the gears and also conveniently calculate the gear ratio or change the ro
tary speed. Dierent from other gear designs that use the number seven or eight as their fundamental number,
these gears were created to be perfect for teaching science to kids because they are easy to assemble and
they make it easy to calculate gear ratios (explained below).

-

We recommend a gradual learning process using these gears, which begins with very basic assemblies to un
derstand how each of the components fit together. After you build all of the models in this instruction book
and understand how to use gear trains, you can put your unlimited creativity to work and design vehicles and
machines on your own. Let your imagination guide you!

Now let’s look closely at gears and how we use them. Find the gears in this kit. The wheels which have many
tooth-shaped objects sticking out of their edges are gears. Two gears can mesh with each other using the teeth
on the edges. When one gear rotates, the other one will be driven to rotate as well. The intermeshing teeth of
the two gears transmit torque (turning force) and rotation.

GEAR

Fig. A

The intermeshing of gears
can eectively transmit
force to cause rotation. The
red circle represents the ac
tual diameter of the trans­mission, which is called the
pitch diameter. The special
shape of the teeth allows
for smooth intermeshing
and transmits power along
the pitch.

-

-

A simple gear train uses two gears with the
same or dierent sizes. If one of these gears
is attached to a motor or a crank, it takes the
role of the driver gear. The gear that is turned by
the driver gear is called the driven gear. Gears of
dierent sizes are used to increase or decrease
the speed or the power of rotary motion. The
relationship between the number of teeth on
intermeshing gears is called the gear ratio (or
speed ratio). The gear ratio reveals the change
in speed or power from one gear to the other.

Illustration of gear ratio calculation

Fig. B

3

40 teeth
Driven gear

Velocity

ratio

Driver gear

Number teeth driven gear

=

Number teeth driver gear

40201

= =

(2:1)

2

20 teeth

AIR+WATER power | Learning about Gears

The big gear has more teeth than the small
gear. Despite the number of teeth or the
size of the gears, all of the teeth on all of the
gears in the same gear system must all be
the same size. In simple gear trains, the driver
and driven gears will rotate in opposite direc­tions. When a third gear is inserted between
the driver gear and driven gear, and makes
them rotate in the same direction, it is called
an idler gear.

The gears in this construction system come
in five dierent types: 20T, 40T, 60T, 80T, and
160T, the extra large gears. This particular kit
only contains 20T and 40T gears. The other
gears can be found in other kits.

The gear system contains both spur and
bevel gears. This kit contains “spur gears,”
which mesh in the same plane and regulate
the speed or the turning direction of the
shafts, and “bevel gears” (the beveled edges
of the gears) which mesh together at right
angles to the initial turning plane of the gears
and shafts to change the plane of rotation.

160 T *

20 T

40 T

60 T*

80 T*

Fig. C Gears (T = Number of teeth)

(*Not included in this particular kit.)

The pitch diameter of the gears in this gear
system is proportional to the number of gear
teeth. In other words, the pitch diameter of
the 20T gears is 20 millimeters while the
pitch diameter of the 40T gears is 40 mil
limeters. Again, the pitch diameters are the
imaginary circles between the meshed gear
teeth as shown in Figure E.

The gears are easy to install on the rods
and frames in this kit, because the rods and
frames have holes positioned in increments
of ten millimeters. The pitch diameters are
in multiples of 20 millimeters, and thus the
distance between the center points of the
gears is in multiples of ten millimeters.

In Fig. E, the distance between the centers of
the two gears is calculated like this:

20 mm

2

40 mm

2

= 30 mmR1 + R2 = +

Therefore you can easily place the two gears
on a rod or frame so that they mesh together
smoothly. The other sizes of gears are de
signed with the same elegantly simple con­cept, so that all of the gears can easily be
assembled into working gear trains.

-

Fig. D Characteristics of gear teeth

R1 R2

-

According to the instructions above, can
you figure out how many holes there are be

­tween a 40T and a 60T gear when they are
meshed?

Fig. E The transmission between the pitches

during the meshing of two gears

4

Learning about Sprockets | AIR+WATER power

1. The power transmission in chain gear systems depends on

chains instead of the direct meshing of gears. Chains must fit
on the teeth of chain gears. Gears used with chains are called
sprockets. The “working” diameters of the sprockets in this
kit are about 10 mm (10-tooth), 20 mm (20-tooth) and 30 mm
(30-tooth). Try to ensure that when connecting drive chains
they are neither too tight nor too loose so that the motion of
one is transmitted eciently to the other. If the chain lengths
do not exactly fit, opt for adding an extra chain segment: a
chain that is a little loose will work better than one that is too
tight. However, the chain has to be tight enough so that it does
not fall o the sprockets. Chain gear systems can be found in
normal bikes or escalators.

2. Connect a 10-tooth sprocket to a 30-tooth sprocket as

shown.

3. Use a pencil point, or something similar, to turn sprocket B.

Which direction does sprocket A turn?
Would this be the same if A and B were two gears meshing?
How many times do you have to turn A for B to rotate once?
The gear ratio of these two sprockets would be __ to __ ?

A B

4. Repeat the experiment for the two assemblies below and

make a table of your results for all three.

A B

A B

5. Try chaining a 10-tooth sprocket and two 30-tooth sprockets

together as shown. Turn A clockwise.
What happens to B and C?
Do they turn in the same direction?
Do they turn at the same speed?

6. Now try to chain the 10-tooth sprocket C as shown.

Turn A clockwise. What happens to B and C?
Do they turn in the same direction?
Do they turn at the same speed?

C

A B

C

A B

7. By connecting two sets of chain gears together three speeds

can be obtained.
This system is widely used in the transmission on bicycles by
adding a gear shift in between.

5

AIR+WATER power | Tips and Tricks for Building the Models

ATTACHING BASE PLATES, RODS, AND FRAMES

1. The anchor pin can be used to join rods

and frames (Fig. 1).

2. Frames can be connected directly to

each other end to end (Fig. 2).

3. You can use the end “A” of the part sep

arator tool to pry an anchor pin out of a
hole (Fig. 3).

Fig. 1

Fig. 2 Fig. 3

ATTACH IN G GE ARS

Attaching gears to the frame Arranging gear wheels symmetrically

When connecting gears onto the frame with a drive
axle, be sure to keep a proper gap (about 1 mm)
between the gears and the frames. Try to turn the
gear and confirm that every gear in the gear train
turns smoothly so that friction is minimized. This is
how you can achieve ecient power transmissions
(Fig. 4 & 5).

NO! (without a space)

Fig. 4 Fig. 5

YES! (with a space)

When you use a motor to drive a wheeled vehicle,
the gear wheels should be arranged symmetrically
(the holes on the two opposite chain gear wheels
must be placed in a horizontal line parallel to the
axle) and be kept at the same driven speed, or the
motor will stall and the vehicle won’t move (Fig. 8).

TIP! These
two holes
must be
placed in a
horizontal
line.

Fig. 8

-

Holding gears in place

Axle locks are designed to
prevent a pulley wheel or
gear from moving along
the axle, or slipping. They
are easy to install without
removing the wheel or
axle (Fig. 6).

Fig. 6

Meshing gears at 90°

When the two red gears mesh
with each other at 90°, the
one on the drive axle must be
assembled as close as pos­sible to the outer end of the
axle so that a good mesh can
be ensured (Fig. 9).

Lengthening drive axles Connecting chain links

Use a small sprocket to connect two drive axles
together to lengthen when necessary (Fig. 7).

Fig. 7

Make sure that you attach the chain links together
with the smooth side always on the inside, so that
the transmission can run eciently and smoothly
(Fig. 10). Note: Not all chain link colors shown are
included in this kit.

6

Fig. 10

Fig. 9

The Main Components | AIR+WATER power

Water Wheel Gear Train

Front

Air+Water Turbine Engine

Air and water enter the turbine engine
through the entrance nozzle “A”, pushing on
and turning the water wheel, which drives
the gear train behind it to turn the axle.
Then the water flows back to the water
storage tank through the exit nozzle “B” for
repeated use.

Back

Water Storage Tank

Exit

Hose B Entrance

Hose A Entrance

Pay attention to the dif ference between the
“water storage tank” and the “air+water tank”
— you will need to be able to tell them apart by
name to properly build the models!

Pressurized
Air+Water Tank

“A” is the entrance
nozzle and “B” is
the exit nozzle. Air
and water from
the water storage
tank come into the
pressurized air+water
tank through the
entrance, and leave
through the exit.

Pump

“A” is the entrance nozzle and
“B” is the exit nozzle. You use
the pump to pu mp water from
the water storage tank into
the pressurized air+water
tank. When the pump handle
is pulled up, air and water will
come into the pump through
the entrance nozzle. When
the pump handle is pushed
down, the air and water will be
pushed into the pressurized
air+water tank through the
exit nozzle.

One-Way Switch

“A” is the entrance nozzle
and “B” is the exit nozzle.
When the switch lever is
in the middle, the exit is
closed, and air and water
cannot pass through the
one-way switch. When
the switch lever is turned
toward the side of the
entrance nozzle, the exit
is opened and the air and
water can flow through.

7

AIR+WATER power | Assembly Notes

Refer back to these notes when
you are building the models.

1. NOTES FOR ASSEMBLY:

• Insert a 9.5 cm long tube into

the protruding nozzle on the
underside of the lid of the water
storage tank, and cut its other
end diagonally (Fig. 11). Position
the diagonally cut end to rest on
the inside bottom of the storage
tank so that water will easily
enter the hose when pumping.
You can attach it to the bottom
with a piece of tape if necessary.

• The lengths of hoses for the

models given in this manual are
for reference only. Be sure not
to make the hoses too tight,
twisted, or compressed (Fig.

12). Water must be able to flow
through them smoothly.

• Slide a security nut onto a hose

and screw it in completely when
connecting the hose to the
pressurized water tank and pump
(Fig. 13 & 14).

• Use an L security nut for tube A,

and an S security nut for tube B.
After repeated use, the hoses
might become worn and come
o the connection nozzles. The
solution is to cut about 1 to 1.5
cm o the end of the tube. Be
sure to wipe the nozzle dry with a
paper towel before the refreshed
hose is installed again.

• The cut hoses can be used again

and again for dierent models.

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

Tub e B

S Security Nut

Tube A: 9.5 cm
cut diagonally

Tub e A
L Security Nut

Fig. 14

No Security Nut

L Security Nut

Tub e A

Tub e B

8

Operating Notes | AIR+WATER power

Refer back to these notes when you are
using the models.

2. NOTES FOR OPERATION:

• Check to ensure that all of the hoses

are fixed to the correct positions before
pumping.

• Check to ensure that the air+water tank is

screwed to the end (Fig. 15). The air+water
tank should be half-filled with water
and thus half-filled with air, but you can
experiment with dierent fill levels.

• Check to ensure that the switch lever is

set to the middle of the switch (i.e. in the
closed position, as Fig. 16 shows) before
pumping, so that the pumped air and
water can’t escape.

• Close the switch lever tightly so that air

and water cannot leak out. It may take a
decent amount of force to move the lever.

• Move the pump from the model to the

tabletop whenever you pump it, and put it
back after you finish pumping (Fig. 17).

Fig. 15

Fig. 16

Screw in the air+water

ta nk tightly.

Set the lever in the

closed position.

Fig. 17

• About ten pumps are needed to start

pushing water from the water storage
tank into the pressurized air+water tank.
Hold the pump handle up for two or three
seconds before you push it down again so
that the most water can be driven into the
pump cylinder during each pump (Fig. 18).

• Pump no more or less than 50 times.

If you pump it more than 50 times, the
basic parts might come under too much
pressure and become damaged. On the
contrary, if you pump it less than 50 times,
the power might be too weak to lead to
smooth operation. The more air you pump
into the tank, the higher the air pressure
will be, and the more energy is stored.

• Don’t pull o any of the hoses — either

during operation or before all the water
returns to the water storage tank.
Otherwise, the water stream could spurt
out of the hose and might hurt you or
make a mess.

• If a hose becomes disconnected at any

time during operation, turn o the switch
by shifting the switch level back to the
middle to stop the spray of water, and
wipe the hose end and nozzle dry before
reattaching.

Pump on a table,

countertop, or floor.

Fig. 18

• Use the one-way switch to release the air

and water remaining in the pressurized
air+water tank before you put the model
away.

9

AIR+WATER power | Hydro-Pneumo

SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES：

When the pump moves water from the water storage tank into the pressurized air+water tank, the water
squeezes the air inside the pressurized air+water tank upward. Air is a compressible fluid. In other words, the
volume of air can be reduced by compressing it, whereas water cannot be compressed. When more and more
water is added into the air+water tank, the water takes up more and more space. Since the space within the
air+water tank is limited, the increasing volume of water compresses the air inside the air+water tank more and
more. As a result, the pressure inside increases and becomes higher than the air outside the air+water tank. This
high-pressure air pushes on the water in the air+water tank, and the water pushes outward on all sides of the
tank in an attempt to escape and resume pressure equilibrium, or balance.

After the pump first draws water into the pressurized air+water tank, and is then pumped another 40 times, more
air is pumped into the remaining fixed space occupied by the water. Thus the air pressure becomes even higher.

These phenomena include many principles from physical science:

1. Water is incompressible, whereas air is compressible.

2. Boyle’s law: For a fixed amount of gas kept at a fixed temperature, the product of the volume and pressure

is constant.

(P1 · V1 = P2 · V2) (P1 : P2 = V2 : V1) P = Pressure and V = Volume

When more air is pushed inside a fixed volume, the air pressure will rise.

3. Pascal’s principle, also called Pascal’s law, is a term in fluid (gas or liquid) mechanics. It states that if pressure

variation occurs in one part of a static fluid within a closed container, the pressure transfers to every part of
the fluid equally in all directions, and pushes outward on the container wall without any loss.

How much energy is stored within the pressurized air+water tank?

According to the following experiment, when the pump draws water into the pressurized air+water tank and is
then pumped another 40 times, the pressure is approximately 3.5 kg/cm

2

.

10

Air+Water Turbine Models | AIR+WATER power

AIR+WATER TURBINE

The first seven models in this kit use an enclosed water turbine to drive their gears and wheels.

1 atmospheric pressure (atm)

= 760 mmHg (torr) = 76 cmHg
= 76 · 13.6 g/cm
= 1033.6 g/cm2 = 1.0336 kg/cm

Therefore, 3.5 kg/cm2 of compressed air is equal
to 3.4 atm. To grasp the potential energy of
this pressure, you have to realize that mercury
is 13 times denser than water. So, a pressure of

3.4 atm equates to the pressure of a 1-by-1 cm
column of mercury that is 76 cm tall, or a 1-by-1
cm column of water that is 35 meters tall! That is
the height of a 10-story building! This is why you
can power your models with the energy created
by simply pumping air into the air+water tank.

3

(density of mercury)

2

HOW TO OPERATE THE AIR+WATER TURBINE

1. Fill the air+water tank about half full of water and attach it onto the system. Pump the pump about 10 times

to get all water from water storage tank into the pressurized air+water tank, and keep pumping another 40
times to compress the air and build up the pressure in the air+water tank.

2. Move the level of the one-way switch to open it.

3. The released water will spray out and strike the blades of the water wheel to activate the

air+water turbine, and drive the geared mechanism behind it. The water then flows out
through the exit nozzle and returns to the water storage tank for repeated use.

Front
View

Step 1 Pump 50 times. Step 2 Turn on the switch...

Back
View

Step 3 ...to spin the turbine...

The entrance

The exit

...which drives the geared mechanism behind it. The model begins to move! (Note: Gears shown here may

dier from those in the kit.)

11

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 1 Cutting Machine

Cutting

Parts Needed

Machine

Assembly Notes

1. The gears should mesh well with each other in order

to operate smoothly. We encourage you to tinker and
improve the design to make the models run smooth ly.

2. Note that the sprockets must be aligned in order for

the chain to operate smoothly.

3. Cut Tube A and Tube B to get tubes of the following

lengths for this model. (The same tubes will be used
for all models.)

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 37 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1
Tube B : 25 cm x 1, 35 cm x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 2 x 2

x 3

(Note: Gears shown
here may dier slightly
from those in the kit.)

x 1

x 1

x 16

x 2

x 1

x 36

x 4

x 2x 2x 2

x 2

x 1

x 1

1 2

x 1 x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1 x 1

x 4

Tube BTube A

x 1

x 1

x 2

3

1

5 7

9 11

6 8

10

3 42

12

MODEL 1 Cutting Machine | AIR+WATER power

12 1413

15

20 21 22

25

16

17 18

23 24

27 28

19

26

29 30

31 32

13

Completed

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 2 Grinding Machine

Grinding Machine

Parts Needed

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. The gears should mesh well with each other in order

to operate smoothly.

2. Cut Tube A and Tube B to get tubes of the following

lengths for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 37 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1
Tube B : 25 cm x 1, 35 cm x 1

x 1

x 1

x 4

x 1

x 1

x 1 x 1

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 1

1 2

x 1

x 2

x 18

x 1 x 1

Tube A

x 3

x 1 x 1

x 1

x 4

x 2 x 2

Tube B

1 3 42 5

6

8 10

7

9

11 12 13

14

MODEL 2 Grinding Machine | AIR+WATER power

14

19 20

23 24 25

15

16 17 18

21 22

26 27

28 29

Completed

15

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 3 Truck

Truck

Parts Needed

x 1

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. Leave a 1 mm gap between the gear and the long

frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

2. Cut Tube A and Tube B to get tubes of the following

lengths for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 37 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1
Tube B : 25 cm x 1, 35 cm x 1

x 1

x 3

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1 x 1

x 1

x 1 x 1

x 5

x 2

x 1

1 2

x 66

Tube A

x 1

x 2 x 2

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 3

x 2

x 19

Tube B

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 2

1 3 42 5

6 8

12

13

7 9

14

15

16

10

11

16

MODEL 3 Truck | AIR+WATER power

17 18

21 22

25

26

19 20

23 24

29

28

27

30 31

3333

32

34

Completed

17

Excavator

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 4 Excavator

Parts Needed

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 3

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. Note that the sprockets must be aligned in order for

the chain to operate smoothly.

2. Leave a 1 mm gap between the axle lock and the long

frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

3. Cut Tube A and Tube B to get tubes of the following

lengths for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 37 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1
Tube B : 25 cm x 1, 35 cm x 1

1 3 42 5

x 1

x 2

x 17

x 1

1 2 3

x 4

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 73

x 4

x 1x 1

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 3

Tube A

Tube B

x 1

x 2

6

8 10

7

9

18

MODEL 4 Excavator | AIR+WATER power

22

18

11

23

13

12

19

24

14

20

25

15

16

17

21

26

31

27

29

30

28

32

19

Completed

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 5 Radar Car

Radar

Parts Needed

Car

x 1

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. The gears should mesh well with each other in order to

operate smoothly.

2. Leave a 1 mm gap between the axle lock and the long

frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

3. Cut Tube A and Tube B to get tubes of the following

lengths for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 37 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1
Tube B : 25 cm x 1, 35 cm x 1

x 2

x 1

x 78

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1

(Note: Gears shown here may dier
slightly from those in the kit.)

x 2

x 2

x 4

x 2

x 2

1 2 3

x 1

x 2

x 4

x 2

x 20

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 2

x 1x 1

x 2

x 2x 2

x 2

x 2

Tube A

Tube B

x 1

x 1

x 3

x 3

1 3 42 5

6 8 10

11

15

7 9

13

12

16

17

14

18

20

MODEL 5 Radar Car | AIR+WATER power

19 20 21 22

23 24

25 26

27 28

31

29

30

32

33

34

35

21

Completed

Tank

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 6 Tank

Parts Needed

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 3

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 2

x18x75

x 1

x 4

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 2

Assembly Notes

1. Leave a 1 mm gap between the axle lock and the long

frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

2. Cut Tube A and Tube B to get tubes of the following

lengths for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 37 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1
Tube B : 25 cm x 1, 35 cm x 1

1 3 42

5

6

x 3

x 1

Tube A

x 2

x 1 x 1

2

Tube B

x 2

1

7

9 11

10

22

8

12

MODEL 6 Tank | AIR+WATER power

21

17

1413

18

22

15

16

19

20

23

24

27

25

26

28

Completed

23

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 7 Antique Car

Antique Car

Parts Needed

x 1

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. Note that the sprockets must be aligned so that the

chain can operate smoothly. We encourage you to
tinker with this design to improve its performance.

2. Leave a 1 mm gap between the axle lock and the long

frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

3. Cut Tube A and Tube B to get tubes of the following

lengths for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 37 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1
Tube B : 25 cm x 1, 35 cm x 1

x 1

x 3

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 2

x59

x 2 x 2

x 2 x 2x 2

1

x 4

x 1

x 1

x 4

x 1

(Note: Gears shown
here may dier slightly
from those in the kit.)

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 2x 2x 2

x18

x 3x 3

x 2

x 2

x 1

2

x 2

x 2

x 1

Tube A

3

Tube B

1 3

2

6

5

9

10

4

7

8

11

24

MODEL 7 Antique Car | AIR+WATER power

12 1413

16

17

21

22

15

18

19

20

23

24

25

26

30

28

27

29

31

32

25

Completed

AIR+WATER power | Water-Jet Propelled Models

WATER-JET VEHICLES

The water-jet propelled vehicles in this kit do not use the
air+water turbine used in the first seven models. The
water-jet models consist of two separate parts — the
vehicle itself and the launcher — instead of one self­contained system as in the first seven models.

PRINCIPLE

Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that when two objects interact, the force
from each acts on the other with the same magnitude (amount) but in opposite
directions. This law is also known as the law of action and reaction.

HOW TO OPERATE

This picture shows you the setup and operation
of a water-jet propelled vehicle.

Please follow these steps.

1. Build a model of a water-jet vehicles according

to the illustrated instructions given in this
instruction manual. If there is no water in the
system yet, fill the air+water tank half full of
water and pour all the water into the water
storage tank.

2. Press and hold the button on the launcher and

insert the nozzle of the pressurized air+water
tank on the vehicle into the center hole of the
launcher. Then release the button so that the vehicle itself and the launcher are securely connected.

3. Pump the pump about 50 times until all of the water comes from the water storage tank into the pressurized

air+water tank and the air inside of it is properly compressed.

4. Press down the button on the launcher to release the nozzle. A stream of water will instantly spray out of the

highly pressurized tank from the nozzle, pushing the vehicle forward. Make sure you are not in its way!

Step 1

Step 2

Press the button down and release it
only after you have inserted the nozzle
into the center hole of the launcher.

Pump
about

50 times

The launcher

The vehicle itself

Step 3

26

Step 4

Press down the button to release the nozzle.

The vehicle will shoot forward.

Experiment | AIR+WATER power

EXPERIMENT:

If you have equal volumes of water and air, the mass of the water is much greater than that of the air. In the
case of your water-jet engines, filling the pressurized air+water tank with water allows for a stronger reaction
force than if it were just filled with air, according to conservation of momentum (Newton’s Second Law of
Motion). However, if too much water is added, it will reduce the space for the air and diminish the potential for
the generation of kinetic energy. So, what is the best amount of water? This is a question worth investigating
to find out.

(1) Build model 13 and operate it without any

water added to the water storage tank.

If no water is used, no water will enter the
pressurized air+water tank. The limited air in the
tank will rush out as soon as the nozzle is opened,
which leads to only a minor change in momentum
for the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle moves
forward at a slow speed for only a short distance.

(2) Fill the water tank half full of water and

operate the model again.

Without water to be pumped

With water halfway full

Add water into the water storage tank so it is
about half full. Use the pump to draw water into
the pressurized air+water tank, which pumps air
into the tank as well. At this time, since the volume
of the air+water tank remains the same, the air
density in the tank increases as more and more air
molecules are pumped into it. These air molecules
keep moving and colliding with each other even
when the pumping has stopped, and they generate
a constant total momentum, which always equals
the sum of the momentum of each molecule,
according to conservation of momentum. Using the
momentum formula: Momentum (Force) = Mass (M)
× Velocity (V), and Pascal’s Principle: P (Pressure) =
F (Force) / A (Area), you can determine that when
the area is fixed, force will increase if the pressure
increases. Therefore, using the same air+water
tank (to keep the volume fixed), a greater force can
be derived to run the water-jet vehicle farther by
adding greater pressure.

27

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 8 Rocket Car

Parts Needed

Rocket Car

x 1

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. Unscrew the original cap of the pressurized

air+water tank before starting the assembly. The
original cap will not be used in this model.

2. Leave a 1 mm gap between the sprockets and the

long frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

3. Cut Tube A to get tubes of the following lengths

for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1

x 1

x 1

x 3

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 3

x 1

x 2

x 2

x20

x 2

x 2

x 2

x60

x 2

x 2

x 2

1 2 3

x 2

x 4

x 2

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 4

x 1

x 2 x 2

x 2

x 2

x 1

Tube A

1 3 42

5

6 8

9 11

10

7

28

MODEL 8 Rocket Car | AIR+WATER power

12 1413

16 17 18

15

19

23

20 21 22

24 25 26

Rocket Car
Completed

27 28

29

Launcher
Completed

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 9 Excavator

Parts Needed

Excavator

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. Unscrew the original cap of the pressurized

air+water tank before starting the assembly. The
original cap will not be used in this model.

2. Leave a 1 mm gap between the sprockets and the

long frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

3. Cut Tube A to get tubes of the following lengths

for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1

x 1

x 1

x 3

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 1

x 4

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 2x 2x 2

x 3

x20

x 2

x 1

x 1

Tube A

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 2x 2 x 2

x 2

1 2 3

x 4

x 1

x 1

x 2

x60

1

5

2

8 10

3

6

9

4

7

30

MODEL 9 Excavator | AIR+WATER power

11 12 1413

20

17

21

18

19

15

16

22

23

26

Excavator
Completed

30

27

24

25

29

28

31

31

Launcher
Completed

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 10 Heavy Motorbike

Parts Needed

Heavy
Motorbike

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. Unscrew the original cap of the pressurized

air+water tank before starting the assembly. The
original cap will not be used in this model.

2. Leave a 1 mm gap between the gears and the long

frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

3. Cut Tube A to get tubes of the following lengths for

this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1

x 1

x 1

x 3

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 4

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 1

x20

x 1

x 1

x79

Tube A

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 1 x 1

1 2 3

x 2

x 2

x 2

x 2

(Note: Gears shown here may dier
slightly from those in the kit.)

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 4

1

6 8 10

11 12 1413

7 9

3 42 5

32

MODEL 10 Heavy Motorbike | AIR+WATER power

19

15

22

16

20

23

18

17

21

24

29

25

26

Heavy
Motorbike
Completed

27

28

30

33

Launcher
Completed

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 11 Helicopter

Helicopter

Parts Needed

Assembly Notes

1. Unscrew the original cap of the pressur-

ized air+water tank before starting the
assembly. The original cap will not be used
in this model.

2. The gears should mesh well with each

other in order to operate smoothly.

3. Leave a 1 mm gap between the axle lock

and the long frame so that the wheel can
turn smoothly.

4. Note that the sprockets must be aligned

so that the chain can operate smoothly.

5. Cut Tube A to get tubes of the following

lengths for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1

x 1

x 1

x 1

(Note: Gears shown
here may dier slightly
from those in the kit.)

x 1

x 3

x 2

1 2 3

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 2

x 2

x 2

x 2 x 2

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 2x 2

x 4

4 5

x 3

x17

x 1

Tube A

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 1

x29

x 4

1 3 42

5 7

8 10

6

9

34

MODEL 11 Helicopter | AIR+WATER power

11 12

15

19

20 21

13

14

16 17

18

22

23

24

29 30

25 26

Helicopter

Completed

27 28

35

Launcher
Completed

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 12 Radar Car

Parts Needed

Radar Car

Assembly Notes

1. Unscrew the original cap of the pressurized

air+water tank before starting the assembly. The
original cap will not be used in this model.

2. The gears should mesh well with each other in or

der to operate smoothly.

3. Leave a 1 mm gap between the axle lock and the

long frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

3. Cut Tube A to get tubes of the following lengths

for this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1

x 1

x 4

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 1

x20

4

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 2

x 1

1

x 2 x 2

x 4 x 4

x 2

x 2

x 1

x 1

-

x 1

x 1

x 3

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 2

x18

2

(Note: Gears shown here
may dier slightly from
those in the kit.)

3

x 2

Tube A

1 3 42

5

9

10

7

6

8

11

12

36

MODEL 12 Radar Car | AIR+WATER power

13

24

18

14

19

25

20

15

26

16

22

21

17

23

28

Radar Car

Completed

33

27

29 30 31

32

34

37

Launcher
Completed

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 13 Forklift

Parts Needed

Forklift

x 1

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. Unscrew the original cap of the pressurized air+water

tank before starting the assembly. The original cap will
not be used in this model.

2. The gears should meshed well with each other in order

to operate smoothly.

3. Leave a 1 mm gap between the axle lock and the long

frame so that the wheel can turn smoothly.

4. Note that the sprockets must be aligned so that the

chain can operate smoothly.

5. Cut Tube A to get tubes of the following lengths for

this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1

x 1

x 3

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 2

x20

x 2

x 1

x 2 x 2

x 1

x 2

x 4 x 4

x 2

x 1

x 2

1 2

3 4

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 1

x45

x 5

5

Tube A

1 3 42

5

8

6

7

9

10

38

MODEL 13 Forklift | AIR+WATER power

11 12 1413

15

16

19

22

24

17 18

25

20

26

27

21

23

Lift

Completed

29

28

30

39

Launcher
Completed

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 14 Antique Rocket Car

Parts Needed

Antique Car

x 1

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. Unscrew the original cap of the pressurized

air+water tank before starting the assembly. The
original cap will not be used in this model.

2. The gears should mesh well with each other in order

for the chain to operate smoothly.

3. Note that the sprockets must be aligned so that

the chain can operate smoothly.

4. Cut Tube A to get tubes of the following lengths for

this model.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1

x 1

x 3

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 5

Tube A

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 1

x47

x 2

4

x 4

x 2

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 3

x20

x 1

(Note: Gears shown

2

here may dier slightly
from those in the kit.)

3

x 2

x 2

x 2

x 1

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 2

1

1

3 42

5

6

7

8

11

9

10

40

12

MODEL 14 Antique Rocket Car | AIR+WATER power

13

14

16 17

15

18

20 21

19

41

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 14 Antique Rocket Car

22 23

24 25

Antique Car
Completed

26 27 28 29 30

32

31

Launcher
Completed

42

MODEL 15 Propeller Aircraft | AIR+WATER power

Parts Needed

Propeller
Aircraft

x 1

x 1

Assembly Notes

1. Unscrew the original cap of the pressurized air+water tank be-

fore starting the assembly. The original cap will not be used in
this model.

2. The parts shown here on the model must be tightly fixed to

gether so that the propeller can rotate.

3. The gears should mesh well with each other in order for the

chain to operate smoothly.

4. Note that the sprockets must be aligned so that the chain can

operate smoothly.

5. Leave a 1 mm gap between the axle lock and the long frame so

that the wheel can turn smoothly.

6. Cut Tube A to get tubes of the following lengths.

Tube A : 9.5 cm x 1, 30 cm x 1, 44 cm x 1

x 1

-

x 3

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 4

x 2x 2x 2

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 4

x20

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 1

x 2

x 2

x 2

x 2

1 2 3

4 5 6

x 2

x 1

Tube A

x 1

x 1

x 2

x 1

x31

x 4

1 3

4

2

5

6

43

AIR+WATER power | MODEL 15 Propeller Aircraft

7

11

8

12

9

10

13

14

16

15

17

18

19

44

MODEL 15 Propeller Aircraft | AIR+WATER power

23

20

21

22

24

Propeller

Aircraft

Completed

25

27 28

26

29

45

Launcher
Completed

© Genius Toy Taiwan Co., Ltd., Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
5th Edition © 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 Thames & Kosmos, LLC, Providence, RI, USA
Thames & Kosmos® is a registered trademark of Thames & Kosmos, LLC.

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