Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

It has a 29mm motor mount tube, shiver me timbers, and I built a booster pod for it. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Blimey! Blimey! At a either .5 or 1 second, me hearties, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! If t' main motor doesn't light, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, me bucko, matey, and push the chute out. Aye aye! Blimey! It better fly right, or I will have a lot o' work t' do! Blimey!

Flight #1: (1)H180 + (8)D11's

T' Ninja flew for t' first time on July 20, 1997. Arrr! After talkin' t' some people, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G was a bilge-suckin' idea because composites are harder t' light. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! So I needed a more powerful engine. Ya scallywag! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, arrr, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I ran a computer altitude sim, me hearties, and found that an H140 SU would work, arrr, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Begad! So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Well, blow me down! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Ya scallywag!

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