Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, me hearties, this thin' is huge. Well, blow me down! For people in HPR, me hearties, this isn't so big. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! As o' now, me hearties, me bucko, I don't know what t' exact weight is, me bucko, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight was 4.5 lbs). Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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. Begad! Blimey! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, me bucko, click here. My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Well, blow me down! At a either .5 or 1 second, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and boosts it higher. Begad! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Well, blow me down! If t' main motor doesn't light, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, me hearties, and push the chute out. It better fly right, me bucko, 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, 1997. Well, blow me down! 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! Ahoy! So I needed a more powerful engine. Blimey! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, ya bilge rat, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Well, me bucko, blow me down! I ran a computer altitude sim, and found that an H140 SU would work, arrr, arrr, me hearties, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. So, shiver me timbers, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, matey, and fly it on an H180. Blimey! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Ya scallywag! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Begad!

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