Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, this thin' is huge. For people in HPR, arrr, this isn't so big. Well, blow me down! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and is 4" in diameter. As o' now, arrr, I don't know what t' exact weight is, me hearties, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight was 4.5 lbs). A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Begad! Begad! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Begad! PML nose cone add up t' quite a lot. It has a 36" round chute from.

It has a 29mm motor mount tube, matey, and I built a booster pod for it. Arrr! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, click here. My original idea (Which changed) be t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Arrr! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. At a either .5 or 1 second, ya bilge rat, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Ya scallywag! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Avast, me proud beauty! If t' main motor doesn't light, me hearties, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, matey, and push the chute out. Ahoy! It better fly right, me bucko, me bucko, me bucko, or I will have a lot o' work t' do!

Flight #1: (1)H180 + (8)D11's

T' Ninja flew for t' first time on July 20, me bucko, me hearties, shiver me timbers, 1997. Begad! After talkin' t' some people, arrr, shiver me timbers, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G be a bilge-suckin' idea because composites are harder t' light. So I needed a more powerful engine. Ahoy! Blimey! An announcement be made askin' if anyone could help me, me bucko, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Well, blow me down! I ran a computer altitude sim, and found that an H140 SU would work, arrr, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, ya bilge rat, and fly it on an H180. Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Well, blow me down! Arrr!

Finally, matey, it be ready t' fly. We took it out t' t' pads, and set it up on pad 5. T' rocket was angled a little bit away from t' spectators (and downwind) for safety. When if finally came time t' launch, t' LCO made everyone stand up and watch this rocket, shiver me timbers, and it be a very heads up flight. Aye aye! Avast! 5...4...3...2...1...Launch... Avast, me proud beauty! T' H lit after a short delay. Begad! It boosted straight up on a column o' smoke. Blimey! Aye aye! Just after t' H burned out, ya bilge rat, t' D's lit for a little extra smoke and noise. Aye aye! After it coasted for 9 seconds, and t' ejection went off and t' chute came out. Arrr! It took a little while for t' chute t' open, but it deployed after a second or two. Well, blow me down! It drifted for a long way, me hearties, and was recovered undamaged. Ahoy! When I recovered the rocket, I smartly looked, and it appeared that all engines ignited. Well, blow me down! Later, it was pointed out t' me that only 6 o' t' 8 lit, me bucko, but it be still spectacular. Avast!