Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, matey, this thin' is huge. For people in HPR, me hearties, this isn't so big. Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Blimey! 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). Begad! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Aye aye! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Aye aye! 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! Avast! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Ahoy! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, ya bilge rat, click here. Avast! Aye aye! My original idea (Which changed) was 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. Blimey! At a either .5 or 1 second, shiver me timbers, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Begad! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Well, blow me down! If t' main motor doesn't light, arrr, ya bilge rat, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, and push the chute out. Blimey! 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, me bucko, 1997. Ya scallywag! 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. Well, blow me down! Begad! So I needed a more powerful engine. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Ahoy! Aye aye! I ran a computer altitude sim, me bucko, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Begad! 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! Ahoy!

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