Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

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

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