Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, me bucko, me bucko, this thin' is huge. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! For people in HPR, this isn't so big. Well, blow me down! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, me bucko, and is 4" in diameter. As o' now, me bucko, I don't know what t' exact weight is, shiver me timbers, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight be 4.5 lbs). Aye aye! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Begad! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Avast, me proud beauty! 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! Avast, me proud beauty! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Avast! Avast! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, shiver me timbers, click here. Arrr! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Arrr! Avast! At a either .5 or 1 second, matey, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, shiver me timbers, and boosts it higher. Well, blow me down! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Well, blow me down! If t' main motor doesn't light, arrr, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, and push the chute out. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! It better fly right, 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, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! So I needed a more powerful engine. Ya scallywag! An announcement be made askin' if anyone could help me, me bucko, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Arrr! I ran a computer altitude sim, me bucko, matey, and found that an H140 SU would work, shiver me timbers, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Avast! So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, matey, and fly it on an H180. Blimey! 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. Blimey!

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