Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, this thin' is huge. Aye aye! For people in HPR, matey, this isn't so big. Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. As o' now, I don't know what t' exact weight is, shiver me timbers, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight was 4.5 lbs). Well, blow me down! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Ya scallywag! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Avast, me proud beauty! PML nose cone add up t' quite a lot. It has a 36" round chute from.

It has a 29mm motor mount tube, matey, matey, and I built a booster pod for it. It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Ya scallywag! Arrr! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, 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. 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, ya bilge rat, and boosts it higher. Arrr! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. If t' main motor doesn't light, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, shiver me timbers, and push the chute out. Avast! Avast! 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, me bucko, 1997. Aye aye! After talkin' t' some people, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G was a bad idea because composites are harder t' light. Blimey! Avast! So I needed a more powerful engine. Ahoy! An announcement be made askin' if anyone could help me, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Ahoy! I ran a computer altitude sim, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! So, matey, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and fly it on an H180. Begad! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Avast! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down!

Finally, me bucko, 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. Ya scallywag! When if finally came time t' launch, ya bilge rat, t' LCO made everyone stand up and watch this rocket, ya bilge rat, and it be a very heads up flight. Blimey! Aye aye! 5...4...3...2...1...Launch... T' H lit after a short delay. Ahoy! It boosted straight up on a column o' smoke. Blimey! Just after t' H burned out, ya bilge rat, t' D's lit for a little extra smoke and noise. Arrr! Blimey! After it coasted for 9 seconds, ya bilge rat, and t' ejection went off and t' chute came out. Aye aye! 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, arrr, and be recovered undamaged. Ahoy! Blimey! When I recovered the rocket, I smartly looked, arrr, and it appeared that all engines ignited. Begad! Arrr! Later, it was pointed out t' me that only 6 o' t' 8 lit, but it was still spectacular. Avast, me proud beauty!