Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

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