Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, this thin' is huge. Begad! For people in HPR, me bucko, shiver me timbers, this isn't so big. Ahoy! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Arrr! As o' now, I don't know what t' exact weight is, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight was 4.5 lbs). Aye aye! Begad! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Arrr! Arrr! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. Begad! 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, arrr, 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. Ya scallywag! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, click here. Ya scallywag! Avast! My original idea (Which changed) be 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. Ya scallywag! Avast! At a either .5 or 1 second, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, and boosts it higher. Ya scallywag! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Ya scallywag! Begad! If t' main motor doesn't light, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, shiver me timbers, arrr, and push the chute out. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! 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, ya bilge rat, 1997. Aye aye! After talkin' t' some people, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G was a bad idea because composites are harder t' light. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! So I needed a more powerful engine. Ahoy! An announcement be made askin' if anyone could help me, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Ya scallywag! I ran a computer altitude sim, shiver me timbers, and found that an H140 SU would work, shiver me timbers, matey, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Arrr! Blimey! So, shiver me timbers, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, matey, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and fly it on an H180. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Well, blow me down! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down!

Finally, shiver me timbers, it was ready t' fly. We took it out t' t' pads, and set it up on pad 5. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' rocket was angled a little bit away from t' spectators (and downwind) for safety. Arrr! Ahoy! 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. Begad! Begad! 5...4...3...2...1...Launch... T' H lit after a short delay. 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! After it coasted for 9 seconds, me bucko, 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. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! It drifted for a long way, and was recovered undamaged. Arrr! Ahoy! When I recovered the rocket, I smartly looked, matey, and it appeared that all engines ignited. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Later, it was pointed out t' me that only 6 o' t' 8 lit, shiver me timbers, but it be still spectacular. Ahoy!