Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, this thin' is huge. Blimey! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! For people in HPR, shiver me timbers, this isn't so big. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, me bucko, and is 4" in diameter. As o' now, I don't know what t' exact weight is, ya bilge rat, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight was 4.5 lbs). Arrr! Blimey! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Avast! Blimey! Ya scallywag! 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. Arrr! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, click here. My original idea (Which changed) was 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. Arrr! At a either .5 or 1 second, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, me hearties, matey, and boosts it higher. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Begad! If t' main motor doesn't light, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me hearties, and push the chute out. Aye aye! It better fly right, me bucko, 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, 1997. 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. Arrr! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, arrr, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Begad! Begad! I ran a computer altitude sim, and found that an H140 SU would work, me bucko, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Blimey! Begad! So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Ya scallywag! 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. Arrr!

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