Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

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