Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, arrr, arrr, this thin' is huge. For people in HPR, shiver me timbers, this isn't so big. Arrr! Well, blow me down! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, me bucko, and is 4" in diameter. Aye aye! As o' now, arrr, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I don't know what t' exact weight is, ya bilge rat, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight be 4.5 lbs). Begad! Avast! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Aye aye! 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. 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, matey, me hearties, click here. Ahoy! My original idea (Which changed) be 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. At a either .5 or 1 second, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Blimey! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Arrr! If t' main motor doesn't light, me hearties, arrr, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, arrr, and push the chute out. 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. Begad! Blimey! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! So I needed a more powerful engine. Begad! Blimey! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, matey, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I ran a computer altitude sim, me bucko, and found that an H140 SU would work, shiver me timbers, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Ahoy! Blimey! So, shiver me timbers, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. 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. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey!

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