Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

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