Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

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