Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, this thin' is huge. Ahoy! For people in HPR, this isn't so big. Avast! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Avast! Aye aye! As o' now, me hearties, I don't know what t' exact weight is, arrr, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight was 4.5 lbs). Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Avast! Begad! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, click here. Arrr! My original idea (Which changed) was t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Well, blow me down! At a either .5 or 1 second, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, ya bilge rat, and boosts it higher. Begad! Aye aye! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Avast, me proud beauty! If t' main motor doesn't light, me bucko, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, shiver me timbers, and push the chute out. Ahoy! 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, ya bilge rat, me hearties, 1997. After talkin' t' some people, me bucko, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G be a bilge-suckin' idea because composites are harder t' light. Avast! So I needed a more powerful engine. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, shiver me timbers, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Begad! I ran a computer altitude sim, matey, and found that an H140 SU would work, arrr, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Begad! So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, and fly it on an H180. Ahoy! 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. Blimey! Arrr!

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