Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

Finally, it was ready t' fly. We took it out t' t' pads, matey, and set it up on pad 5. T' rocket be angled a little bit away from t' spectators (and downwind) for safety. Avast! Ahoy! When if finally came time t' launch, me hearties, t' LCO made everyone stand up and watch this rocket, and it be a very heads up flight. 5...4...3...2...1...Launch... Aye aye! T' H lit after a short delay. Arrr! Begad! 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. Avast! After it coasted for 9 seconds, shiver me timbers, and t' ejection went off and t' chute came out. Begad! It took a little while for t' chute t' open, arrr, arrr, but it deployed after a second or two. It drifted for a long way, ya bilge rat, and was recovered undamaged. Blimey! When I recovered the rocket, me hearties, I smartly looked, ya bilge rat, and it appeared that all engines ignited. Aye aye! Later, it was pointed out t' me that only 6 o' t' 8 lit, me bucko, but it was still spectacular. Aye aye! Well, matey, blow me down!