Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

Finally, it was 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. Begad! Ahoy! When if finally came time t' launch, t' LCO made everyone stand up and watch this rocket, ya bilge rat, arrr, and it be a very heads up flight. Arrr! Begad! 5...4...3...2...1...Launch... Aye aye! T' H lit after a short delay. Blimey! It boosted straight up on a column o' smoke. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Just after t' H burned out, t' D's lit for a little extra smoke and noise. Begad! After it coasted for 9 seconds, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 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. Blimey! It drifted for a long way, shiver me timbers, and was recovered undamaged. Well, blow me down! When I recovered the rocket, shiver me timbers, I smartly looked, and it appeared that all engines ignited. Later, it was pointed out t' me that only 6 o' t' 8 lit, shiver me timbers, but it be still spectacular.