Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

It has a 29mm motor mount tube, me hearties, and I built a booster pod for it. Ya scallywag! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Well, blow me down! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, matey, arrr, click here. Begad! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Ahoy! Begad! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Arrr! Well, blow me down! At a either .5 or 1 second, me hearties, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, me bucko, and boosts it higher. Ahoy! Begad! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Avast! Well, me bucko, blow me down! If t' main motor doesn't light, me bucko, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, arrr, and push the chute out. Avast, me proud beauty! 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, shiver me timbers, 1997. Begad! Blimey! After talkin' t' some people, ya bilge rat, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G was a bilge-suckin' idea because composites are harder t' light. Ahoy! Blimey! So I needed a more powerful engine. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, ya bilge rat, matey, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. I ran a computer altitude sim, arrr, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! So, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Avast! Blimey! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Blimey! Blimey!

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