Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

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