Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

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