Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, ya bilge rat, this thin' is huge. Begad! For people in HPR, ya bilge rat, me hearties, this isn't so big. Aye aye! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Well, blow me down! As o' now, I don't know what t' exact weight is, ya bilge rat, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight was 4.5 lbs). Ahoy! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Ya scallywag! 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, and I built a booster pod for it. It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Avast! Well, blow me down! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, click here. Arrr! Ya scallywag! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Well, blow me down! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Aye aye! At a either .5 or 1 second, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, me bucko, and boosts it higher. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Ya scallywag! If t' main motor doesn't light, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, and push the chute out. Avast! It better fly right, 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, 1997. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! After talkin' t' some people, ya bilge rat, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G be a bad idea because composites are harder t' light. So I needed a more powerful engine. Well, blow me down! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, me bucko, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Ya scallywag! I ran a computer altitude sim, me bucko, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. So, shiver me timbers, matey, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, me bucko, and fly it on an H180. Aye aye! Aye aye! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Aye aye! Well, matey, blow me down! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Ya scallywag!

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