Superscale Ninja
(Contributed - by Eric Speckman)  

For someone who is used t' Estes kits, me hearties, this thin' is huge. For people in HPR, shiver me timbers, this isn't so big. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! This rocket stands 4' 9.4" tall, and is 4" in diameter. Blimey! 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 was 4.5 lbs). Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! A lot o' t' weight is in t' payload section. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! 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 bucko, and I built a booster pod for it. Ya scallywag! Avast! 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. Begad! T' flight plan is as follows (hopefully): Ignition o' t' 8 D11-P's with a car battery. Begad! Blimey! At a either .5 or 1 second, arrr, me hearties, t' timer (or thermalite) ignites t' G64, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and boosts it higher. Blimey! T' main motor's ejection will hopefully deploy t' chute. Well, blow me down! Begad! If t' main motor doesn't light, t' timer will ignite an ejection charge, me bucko, shiver me timbers, 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, me bucko, me hearties, I decided that boostin' on t' D's and airstartin' t' G was a bilge-suckin' idea because composites are harder t' light. Ya scallywag! So I needed a more powerful engine. Ahoy! Arrr! An announcement was made askin' if anyone could help me, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and Frank Noble was willin' t' help me with me project. I ran a computer altitude sim, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and found that an H140 SU would work, but t' motor dealer did nay have any. Arrr! Begad! So, shiver me timbers, arrr, ya bilge rat, I was able t' borrow a reload casing, matey, shiver me timbers, and fly it on an H180. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Frank loaded t' motor, and explained how t' drill t' delay t' t' right length. Arrr! He showed me how to use teflon tubes and thermalite t' ignite t' D11's. Begad!

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