Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

Finally, shiver me timbers, it was ready t' fly. We took it out t' t' pads, ya bilge rat, and set it up on pad 5. Arrr! T' rocket be 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, arrr, ya bilge rat, and it be a very heads up flight. Avast, me proud beauty! 5...4...3...2...1...Launch... Begad! T' H lit after a short delay. Avast! Ya scallywag! It boosted straight up on a column o' smoke. Just after t' H burned out, t' D's lit for a little extra smoke and noise. Ya scallywag! 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, shiver me timbers, but it deployed after a second or two. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! It drifted for a long way, me bucko, and be recovered undamaged. Begad! Well, blow me down! When I recovered the rocket, matey, shiver me timbers, I smartly looked, and it appeared that all engines ignited. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Later, shiver me timbers, it was pointed out t' me that only 6 o' t' 8 lit, shiver me timbers, but it be still spectacular. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy!