Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, me hearties, this thin' is huge. For people in HPR, me bucko, this isn't so big. Well, blow me down! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. As o' now, me bucko, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Arrr! 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, ya bilge rat, and I built a booster pod for it. Well, blow me down! 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, ya bilge rat, me bucko, ya bilge rat, 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. Blimey! At a either .5 or 1 second, arrr, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and boosts it higher. Blimey! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Arrr! If t' main motor doesn't light, ya bilge rat, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, and push the chute out. Ya scallywag! 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 hearties, me hearties, shiver me timbers, 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. Aye aye! So I needed a more powerful engine. Begad! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, 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. Blimey! So, me hearties, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, me hearties, and fly it on an H180. Avast! Ahoy! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Ya scallywag! Ahoy!

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