Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, this thin' is huge. Begad! For people in HPR, this isn't so big. This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and is 4" in diameter. Ya scallywag! Begad! As o' now, I don't know what t' exact weight is, me hearties, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight was 4.5 lbs). Avast! Ahoy! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. 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, and I built a booster pod for it. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! 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, click here. Begad! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Begad! Avast! 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, shiver me timbers, and boosts it higher. Avast! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! If t' main motor doesn't light, shiver me timbers, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, shiver me timbers, and push the chute out. 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. Ahoy! After talkin' t' some people, shiver me timbers, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G was a bad idea because composites are harder t' light. Well, blow me down! So I needed a more powerful engine. Aye aye! Aye aye! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Avast! I ran a computer altitude sim, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! So, matey, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Begad! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Begad!

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