Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, arrr, me hearties, this thin' is huge. For people in HPR, arrr, this isn't so big. Begad! Blimey! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! As o' now, matey, I don't know what t' exact weight is, me bucko, matey, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight be 4.5 lbs). Avast! Blimey! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Aye aye! Blimey! 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. Blimey! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Ahoy! Begad! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, ya bilge rat, click here. Arrr! My original idea (Which changed) be t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Ahoy! Avast! At a either .5 or 1 second, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Begad! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Avast, me proud beauty! If t' main motor doesn't light, matey, 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, 1997. Begad! After talkin' t' some people, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G was a bad idea because composites are harder t' light. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! So I needed a more powerful engine. Begad! An announcement be made askin' if anyone could help me, arrr, 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, ya bilge rat, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Begad! Ahoy! So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Blimey! Begad! 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.

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