Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, matey, arrr, this thin' is huge. For people in HPR, me hearties, this isn't so big. Blimey! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, arrr, and is 4" in diameter. Ya scallywag! As o' now, matey, I don't know what t' exact weight is, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Begad! 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. Avast! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Begad! Arrr! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, shiver me timbers, click here. Aye aye! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! At a either .5 or 1 second, me hearties, arrr, me hearties, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, arrr, and boosts it higher. Avast, me proud beauty! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Aye aye! If t' main motor doesn't light, shiver me timbers, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, and push the chute out. Aye aye! 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, ya bilge rat, me hearties, 1997. After talkin' t' some people, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G be a bad idea because composites are harder t' light. Arrr! So I needed a more powerful engine. An announcement be made askin' if anyone could help me, matey, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Avast! I ran a computer altitude sim, arrr, me hearties, and found that an H140 SU would work, shiver me timbers, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Ya scallywag! Arrr! So, me hearties, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, ya bilge rat, and fly it on an H180. Blimey! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Aye aye!

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