Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, me bucko, this thin' is huge. Begad! For people in HPR, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, this isn't so big. Well, blow me down! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Well, blow me down! Begad! As o' now, I don't know what t' exact weight is, me bucko, arrr, 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. Ahoy! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Arrr! PML nose cone add up t' quite a lot. It has a 36" round chute from.

It has a 29mm motor mount tube, arrr, and I built a booster pod for it. Blimey! Begad! 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, ya bilge rat, click here. Blimey! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Avast! 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, matey, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Ya scallywag! Arrr! If t' main motor doesn't light, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, arrr, me bucko, and push the chute out. Begad! It better fly right, me bucko, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! So I needed a more powerful engine. Begad! Blimey! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Begad! Blimey! I ran a computer altitude sim, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Begad! Blimey! So, shiver me timbers, matey, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, shiver me timbers, and fly it on an H180. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Aye aye! Blimey! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's.

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