Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, me hearties, this thin' is huge. Begad! For people in HPR, this isn't so big. Arrr! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Well, blow me down! As o' now, ya bilge rat, I don't know what t' exact weight is, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight be 4.5 lbs). Avast! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! 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, me bucko, and I built a booster pod for it. Avast, me proud beauty! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Arrr! Ya scallywag! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, click here. Blimey! Ya scallywag! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Well, blow me down! 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, ya bilge rat, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Avast, me proud beauty! If t' main motor doesn't light, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, and push the chute out. Well, blow me down! 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, matey, ya bilge rat, 1997. Well, blow me down! Blimey! After talkin' t' some people, arrr, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G was a bad idea because composites are harder t' light. So I needed a more powerful engine. Ahoy! Avast! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. I ran a computer altitude sim, me bucko, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Begad! So, shiver me timbers, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, shiver me timbers, and fly it on an H180. Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Ahoy! Aye aye! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Aye aye! Well, arrr, blow me down!

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