Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, this thin' is huge. Ahoy! For people in HPR, this isn't so big. Aye aye! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Arrr! As o' now, ya bilge rat, 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! Arrr! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, arrr, me hearties, click here. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Ya scallywag! 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, ya bilge rat, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Begad! If t' main motor doesn't light, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, and push the chute out. Blimey! Blimey! It better fly right, or I will have a lot o' work t' do! Blimey!

Flight #1: (1)H180 + (8)D11's

T' Ninja flew for t' first time on July 20, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 1997. Blimey! After talkin' t' some people, arrr, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G was a bilge-suckin' idea because composites are harder t' light. Arrr! So I needed a more powerful engine. Arrr! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, me bucko, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I ran a computer altitude sim, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Arrr! Ahoy! So, ya bilge rat, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, me bucko, shiver me timbers, matey, and fly it on an H180. Blimey! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Begad! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Ahoy!

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