Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, this thin' is huge. Ya scallywag! For people in HPR, this isn't so big. Well, blow me down! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Begad! Ahoy! As o' now, me bucko, arrr, I don't know what t' exact weight is, me bucko, 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. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. 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. For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, me hearties, ya bilge rat, matey, click here. Blimey! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Avast! Blimey! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Blimey! At a either .5 or 1 second, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Ahoy! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. If t' main motor doesn't light, arrr, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, arrr, and push the chute out. It better fly right, arrr, 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. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! After talkin' t' some people, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G be a bad idea because composites are harder t' light. Avast! So I needed a more powerful engine. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Ahoy! Begad! I ran a computer altitude sim, shiver me timbers, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Ahoy! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Avast, me proud beauty! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Avast, me proud beauty!

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