Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, this thin' is huge. Arrr! For people in HPR, this isn't so big. Aye aye! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. As o' now, I don't know what t' exact weight is, matey, matey, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight be 4.5 lbs). A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Ahoy! 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. Begad! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Ya scallywag! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, ya bilge rat, 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! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! At a either .5 or 1 second, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Aye aye! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! If t' main motor doesn't light, matey, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and push the chute out. Well, blow me down! 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. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! 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. Ya scallywag! So I needed a more powerful engine. Well, blow me down! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Well, blow me down! I ran a computer altitude sim, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Arrr! Arrr! So, me hearties, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Begad! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Arrr! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Ya scallywag!

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