Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, ya bilge rat, me bucko, this thin' is huge. For people in HPR, me hearties, ya bilge rat, this isn't so big. Ahoy! Ahoy! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Arrr! As o' now, arrr, ya bilge rat, I don't know what t' exact weight is, but I it is around 3 1/5 lbs (Loaded weight was 4.5 lbs). A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' heavy bulkhead and t' 10 oz. PML nose cone add up t' quite a lot. It has a 36" round chute from.

It has a 29mm motor mount tube, me hearties, and I built a booster pod for it. Aye aye! It consists o' a rin' o' 8 24mm engine tubes glued t' t' inside o' a coupler. Begad! For a picture or t' back o' t' loaded rocket, click here. My original idea (Which changed) be t' following: It will have a timer t' air start t' main G64 Aerotech reload. Avast! 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, matey, arrr, arrr, and boosts it higher. Ya scallywag! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Avast! 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, me hearties, matey, 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, matey, 1997. Begad! After talkin' t' some people, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G be a bilge-suckin' idea because composites are harder t' light. Avast, me proud beauty! So I needed a more powerful engine. An announcement be made askin' if anyone could help me, shiver me timbers, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. Well, blow me down! I ran a computer altitude sim, arrr, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! So, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, matey, and fly it on an H180. Aye aye! Begad! 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. Blimey!

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