Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

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