Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, shiver me timbers, this thin' is huge. For people in HPR, this isn't so big. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Avast! Arrr! As o' now, I don't know what t' exact weight is, shiver me timbers, matey, 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. Begad! 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. It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, shiver me timbers, click here. Begad! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Avast! Aye aye! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Aye aye! 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. Well, blow me down! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! If t' main motor doesn't light, me bucko, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, matey, and push the chute out. Ahoy! Blimey! 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, 1997. Avast, me proud beauty! 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! So I needed a more powerful engine. Blimey! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, me bucko, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Begad! Avast! I ran a computer altitude sim, me hearties, me hearties, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, matey, and fly it on an H180. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's.

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