Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, ya bilge rat, this thin' is huge. Well, blow me down! For people in HPR, this isn't so big. Blimey! Blimey! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! As o' now, arrr, shiver me timbers, I don't know what t' exact weight is, matey, arrr, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight be 4.5 lbs). Well, blow me down! Blimey! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Begad! Blimey! PML nose cone add up t' quite a lot. It has a 36" round chute from.

It has a 29mm motor mount tube, matey, and I built a booster pod for it. Aye aye! Well, matey, blow me down! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Begad! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, shiver me timbers, me hearties, click here. Avast! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. 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, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Avast! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Begad! If t' main motor doesn't light, me hearties, me hearties, arrr, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, and push the chute out. Blimey! It better fly right, me hearties, arrr, 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, shiver me timbers, matey, 1997. After talkin' t' some people, shiver me timbers, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G be a bad idea because composites are harder t' light. So I needed a more powerful engine. Begad! Ahoy! An announcement be made askin' if anyone could help me, arrr, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. I ran a computer altitude sim, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Ahoy! So, ya bilge rat, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Avast! 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. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty!

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