EMRR's Model Rocket Review: Estes Industries

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REV 2.4 - Wed Aug 10 18:49:18 2011

Estes
Blue Ninja

P.O. Box 227, 1295 H Street
Penrose, CO 81240
(719) 372-6565

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SPECS:

31.3" x 1.64" - 5.1 oz

ROCKSIM FILE:

Right Click to Download

SpaceCAD FILE:

MISSING - please submit here

REC'D MOTORS:

C11-3, D12-3 Estes Industries

(Contributed - by G. A. Dean - 07/10/02)

Rocket Pic Brief:
The Blue Ninja is a very basic four-fin rocket in the Estes E2X line, with one special feature, its a big rocket, using 24mm motors. Like all the E2X kits it builds quickly and easily without painting, using plastic parts except for the body tubes. The completed rocket sports a reflective blue finish and a big, powerful look that is a big hit with the younger rocketeers (and some of the older ones!) The completed rocket is over 31 inches tall and weighs a respectable 145 grams (5.1 oz.)

Construction:
This kit is entirely typical of Estes E2X kits. It arrived in a bag with all parts present and accounted for. The two body tubes immediately catch the eye. They are 12'' and 8'' inches long and over 1.6 inches in diameter (BT-60). They are also wrapped in a reflective, sparkling covering (Estes calls it “prismatic” that gives the Blue Ninja it's distinctive look. The nosecone, fin can, fins and tube connector are all black plastic, and seemed well molded. Surfaces are generally smooth, with a nice, 'satin' finish. The fits are good and required only a little trimming with the hobby knife.

Engine The most interesting part of the Blue Ninja construction is the engine mount, which is a little different that other Estes kits. The rear 5 inches of the rocket body is a molded plastic 'unit' in two halves. In addition to slots for the fin tabs, this unit supports the engine tube and provides a mount for the engine-retention cap. A plastic centering ring (of sorts) fits over one end of the paper motor tube. This ring fits into tabs inside the fin mount. The other end of the motor tube rests in a socket at the upper end of the fin mount unit. The top half of the fin-mount unit glues in place with plastic cement. A standard size 24mm motor like the D12 or C11 will protrude about ½ inch from the end of the motor tube. A plastic cap restrains the motor and hides it, giving a nozzle-like styling to the end of the rocket. This cap twists into place with a bayonet mount, and has appeared on several Estes E2X kits. It’s very easy and effective to use, if a bit heavier than a standard motor clip. (It may be possible to move the motor block forward to accommodate the longer E9 motors. I didn’t think of it at the time but I believe the motor tube is long enough. According to Rocksim this kit ought to fly well on those long-burning motors).

Rocket Pieces The plastic fins glue to the plastic fin-mount unit with plastic cement (you get the idea) The fins have short tabs to align them and perhaps provide a bit of strength. I suspect that these fins could pop off in a hard landing, but so far ours have stayed on (despite one landing on pavement.) It’s pretty hard to mess-up these fins. The biggest risk is that you will get plastic cement on the nice smooth surface and mar it, but that can be avoided with simple precautions.

The completed fin can fits into the smaller of the two body tubes (again with plastic cement), and the two tubes are connected with a plastic coupler. The coupler is also the mounting point for the shock-cord.

The shock-cord is ¼ inch elastic, both wider and longer than one would expect from Estes (bravo!). Nevertheless I added a length of Kevlar® tether, and strengthened the top inch of the body tube with thin CA to protect against “zippers”. The standard 18 in. plastic chute came pre-assembled. I attached it to the elastic about 7 inches from the nosecone.

The "Pros" for this kit are the easy, kid-friendly assembly (no CA or knives required). Instructions are typically Estes, which is to say easy to follow and well illustrated. The rocket feels quite sturdy, but if you use plastic cement as recommended there could be some separated parts after hard landings.

Finishing:
The only finish step is the application of stick-on decals, the large "Blue Ninja" on the rocket body and vaguely oriental designs to the fins. While effortless, the finish of this rocket is one of its strong selling points. It's a sharp-looking rocket right-out of the box, which was important for my 7 year old.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Flight:
To date we have only flown the rocket on C11-3 motors (small fields and strong winds). Rocksim puts apogee with that impulse around 300 feet, and that seems about right. Boost has always been straight and deployment close to apogee. The rocket comes off the pad slowly and looks large and impressive in flight. A D12-5 flight is predicted to go to 700 feet. This ought to be a very predictable rocket, so I fully expect those flights to be very successful too. Estes recommends a 3 second delay on the D12, but Rocksim shows the D12-5 to be the better choice. These E2X rockets generally are built right to the predicted weight, so the Rocksim performance ought to be accurate.

RockSim

The motor-retention cap extends beyond the end of the motor a bit to create a "nozzle" effect. These caps make prep somewhat easier, and look better that a metal hook, but it is a bit of a reach to get the igniter properly secured in the motor nozzle. We had a couple of misfires caused by igniters that dropped out or broke. Not a big deal, but something to think about when you prep this rocket.

On the last flight the prismatic blue wrap started to unwind from the body tube. It’s a small flaw easily repaired.

Recovery:
The Blue Ninja recovers on a standard Estes plastic 18in chute. This chute has worked well for us, in terms of size and decent rate. On the last flight the chute suffered some melting and burn holes, but brought the rocket back just fine. The body tube is wide and long, so sealing it with wadding is difficult. I was using Rogue Permawadding, which was undamaged, but obviously some of the "hot stuff" got by.

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Summary:
This is a fine kit for beginners, and ought to be a breeze for anyone with plastic model experience. The flights are impressive and dependable on the recommended engines. There is no balsa in this kit, and it is really not so much “built” as “assembled”. I usually prefer a more traditional kit, but I can appreciate what Estes is doing here. I bought this kit for my kids, principally my seven year old. That the Blue Ninja is “easy-to-build” is a nice thing for him, but the most important feature is that it’s “easy to get right”. I may find the “made-by-Cub Scouts” look kind of charming, but he is embarrassed by it. I’ve also seen beginners discouraged by the poor flying characteristics of their early attempts. My kids love to fly this rocket. They built it, it’s big, it flies well, and they get admiring glances when they take it to the pad. I think this kit is going to give a lot of beginners a good first experience in rocketry, and encourage them to continue on.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

(Contributed - by Herb Estus)

Brief:
A E2X series Easy to build kit.

Construction:
The Kit contained:

BT60 body tube 12"
BT60 body tube 8"
PNC-60AH nose cone
1/4" 36" shock cord
Engine mount tube
18" plastic parachute
engine block
4 plastic fins
2 piece plastic engine mount
plastic rear engine mount centering ring
Plastic tube coupler with a place to hook shock cord to

Instructions where easy to follow and well illustrated. You use plastic cement and white glue for assembly. I did cut the length of the engine stop down so I can also fly this on the E9 motors.

Everything went together quickly. The rocket was put together in about 1/2 hr and I could have flown it the same day.

Finishing:
No finishing is required for this kit. The body tubes are a blue type metallic while the fins and nose cone are black.

Only thing we had to do was but the decals on.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
Put some shredded paper in for wadding and a D12-3 for it's first and only flight so far. Was a nice flight with the parachute ejection just past apogee.

Recovery:
Shock cord is attached by placing a double knot in it then putting it into a supplied connector in the tube coupler. I replaced the plastic chute with a 18" nylon chute.

Flight Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary:
This indeed is a very easy kit to build, but they should of used a smaller engine block so it could also be flown on the E9 motors.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

GUEST's OPINION:
04/08 - "This is a really nice kit. It flies beautifully, and can take a real beating. We have probably flown ours about 10 times now, always on a D12-5. We have had two major crashes, once where a parachute failed to deploy correctly, and a second where the body separated from the chute/nose cone. In both cases, I was sure we were going to find a destroyed rocket waiting for us. To my surprise, there was only minor damage (to the bottom launch lug) from the first crash, and NO damage from the second crash. The engine retainer ring begins to "melt" over time with heavy use, but Estes will send you a new one if you ask for it. We like the characteristics of this rocket so much that we are going to build a "stretched" version of it that can fly on E engines. Look for it in the mods section in a few weeks." (J.G.)

GUEST's OPINION:
01/08 - "This is a great rocket to modify to fly on E motors. I replaced the parachute with a streamer made from caution tape and lengthened the shock cord. I used epoxy for the motor mount and fins which has held up great so far. I also replaced the screw on motor retainer with a metal retainer clip is had for an E motor. This kit is a great kit for those looking to try flying larger motors at half the price of other kits." (D.L.K.)

GUEST's OPINION:
02/06 - "The Blue Ninja is an awesome rocket. For an E2X rockets, this one is a keeper. It flies great on C11's, and on D12's, it soars. C11's are good for it on a small field. I have 3 now, one the blue wrap is completely off (renamed the Silver Ninja), and the kids love it when I drag race them." (B.G.A.)

GUEST's OPINION:
02/06 - "Have flow the Blue Ninja on C11's and D12-3 engines, it really soars on the D's. The blue covering peeled off the top of the 8" tube, but PVA glue is fine to fix it with. I fly rockets on a beach, and have no trouble with fins breaking or coming off. The ony trouble I haveis the cardboard getting wet on the sane, again PVA glue on the inside of the 12" tube prevents is expanding when wet." (C.J.B.)

GUEST's OPINION:
07/04 - "Great kit for beginners. Big and good looking. Easy to build right. Superb job in molding the fin can/engine mount assembly - no trimming required. Only complaint is too-short elastic shock cord" (B.C.)

GUEST's OPINION:
06/04 - "Not so great of a first flight. It reminded me why I do not like plastic fins, they seem to fall off. I did lose one fin but plan on making my own out of balsa. Yes, the blue did start peeling back. I took the top part of the blue foil off and now it is silver and blue. Yes, my parachute melted. Need to use more wadding and definitely a longer shock cord. I flew on a D. I think once I make these adjustments it will do fine though.......but then I will have a different rocket than the one that comes in the kit." (J.H.)

GUEST's OPINION:
06/04 - "Great Rocket. I just left the engine mount and let the E stick out a little. I also trashed the retainer ring to rely on a friction fit. When launching with an E9, I just took off the parachute and used a nose blow system which pretty much let the rocket set itself on the pad(safely). Great rocket with an E9, can be spotted easily high in the sky because of its reflection. Once, I had it land in a goat pasture and the goats destroyed the parachute which is another reason that nose blow came into play." (A.M.)

GUEST's OPINION:
11/03 - "This is a perfect "first rocket" for 24mm motors. Very easy to build (I did it with my 7 year old) and cheap enough that losing it isn't a big deal. If you have a large field, this rocket flies great on an E9-6. I'm looking forward to trying it on an E30 and maybe an F21 sometime. I tried it on a C6-3 with an adapter but it was underpowered. C11 works well on tiny fields. Both of the other guest opinions are right on the money. If you want to fly it more than a few times, definitely insert a long peice of Kevlar® cord in-between the rocket and the far too short Estes shock cord. Gluing down the end of the blue wrap is also a must if you don't want it to turn into a Silver Ninja. Make sure you cut the cardboard spacer in half so you can fit Estes E and the longer Aerotech 24mm motors." (J.C.S.)

GUEST's OPINION:
09/02 - "I did the usual Kevlar® cord treatment in place of the shock cord. THEN square knotted the shock cord to the Kevlar® cord. Soaked the upper tube with CA to help prevent the zips, and when the blue plastic started to unravel, I put a few dabs of plastic cement and it stays put. I wonder if you could laminate foil to the motor mount ring to make it last longer...hmm.." (J.R.)

GUEST's OPINION:
07/02 - "I cut the engine block shorter to accept the E9, can use the cut piece to use D12. The plastic twist retainer melts over time, makes it hard to get off. I replaced the chute with a ripstop streamer, as on the E9, it will hit about 1400 feet." (P.J.B.)

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
06/08 - "I added 14" of nylon sting between the parachute and shock cord. It allows me to fold the parachute properly it install into the air frame and I have not had and fouled or miffed chute deployments since." (V.B. )

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
11/06 - "Moved motor mount forward to accommodate Estes E motors. Flies great to about 1400 feet on E motors. Flashy finish makes it easier to see. Used recovery technologies rip stop thin mil 12" chute with small spillhole. No fin damage, but tube crimp developing from hard landings. Would do better with slightly larger chute." (M.S. )

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
07/04 - "1) 5-minute epoxy works great to attach the fins and the body tubes. It fills the gaps and does not get as brittle as plastic model cement. If you get too much glue on a joint, just wipe it off with a paper towel. It does not mar the plastic surface like plastic cement does. 2) The blue wrap was peeling on all four tube ends, so we used a dab of CA to tack them back down. NOT recommended, since CA dissolves the blue color, leaving a silver blob on the body. 3) To allow for using E engines, cut the engine mount in half and only glue in the top half. Peel a layer off the outside of the lower half to use it as a spacer for C and D engines." (B.C. )

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
06/04 - "Great rocket for a great price. I added braided Kevlar® between engine mount and shock cord to prevent burn though. The chute(plastic) was also replaced with a 18" ripstop nylon one for durability. We shot it 3 times today with D12-5's and each flight was a success. During construction, alignment of the two launch lugs is very critical! Use a 3/16" rod to aid in gluing alignment if necessary. " (Willy )

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
11/03 - "The launch lugs are integrally molded into the black plastic parts. The aft lug is part of the fin can. The forward lug is part of the body tube coupler. Everything assembles fine if you follow the directions, but if you have a young builder, he might overlook the importance of having the lugs aligned during body tube assembly. It would be worth it to keep a close watch over his shoulder and make sure he gets these parts in line." (D.G.L. )

SPECIFIC ROCKET TIP:
03/03 - "I modified the Blue Ninja to incorporate a payload section to carry a PerfectFlite altimeter. Instead of jointing the two sections of the main body tube, a Big Bertha cone was glued into the bottom of the upper section, in place of the connector tube shown on the plans. To insure alignment, the entire main body assembly was rolled on a flat surface before the epoxy set. The other modification I made was to increase the motor tube length and position of the motor block ring to allow use of long 24mm F21 motors as well as (with adapter) 24mm RMS or the suggested D12 motors. For flight, secure rocket nose cone with tape." (L.B. )

Date	Name	Motor	Ejection/ Altitude	Wind	Notes
05-03-2008	Tim Bearden	Est SU D12-7	Just Past (1-2sec)	Calm	Event: PETR - Did fine on this maiden flight.
03-21-2009	Tim Bearden	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Up	Calm	- Chute tangled and came in like on a steamer. Fin broke off due to landing on street. Easy repair, will fly again.
11-07-2004	William Beggs	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Bear Creek Lake Park, Lakewood, CO - Great flight and recovery.
01-15-2005	William Beggs	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Bear Creek Lake Park, Lakewood, CO - Perfect flight and recovery.
04-16-2005	William Beggs	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Mile-High Mayhem - Perfect flight and recovery.
04-16-2005	William Beggs	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Mile-High Mayhem - Perfect flight and recovery.
04-16-2005	William Beggs	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Mile-High Mayhem - Perfect flight and recovery.
04-16-2005	William Beggs	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Mile-High Mayhem - Perfect flight and recovery.
06-05-2005	William Beggs	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Bear Creek Lake Park, Lakewood, CO - Good flight and recovery.
09-18-2005	William Beggs	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- Good flight and recovery.
05-12-2007	William Beggs	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Rio Rancho, NM - Perfect flight
06-09-2007	William Beggs	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Rio Rancho, NM - Perfect flight and recovery.
11-10-2007	William Beggs	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Rio Rancho, NM - Great flight and reovery.
08-02-2010	Jeff Berger	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect (800 ft)	5-10 mph winds	- First launch was impressive, slow but picked up speed. Ejection sheared off steel swivel due to stronger shock cord being to short. Broke off a couple fins on landing. Parachute worked well w/nosecone.
09-26-2010	Jeff Berger	Est SU E9-6	Apogee - NC Down	5-10 mph winds	- Had too much angle into the wind and it made a large arc. Ejection was late and parachute didn't open up. Hard landing crumpled tube. Will fix.
09-26-2010	Jeff Berger	Est SU E9-6	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Repaired tube and sent it straight up. It went very high, perfect ejection and landing. The E engine is great for this rocket. Could still see it at apogee in clear sky. Great!!
06-17-2002	Donald Besaw	Est SU C11-3	Just Past (1-2sec)	Calm	- Beautiful flight. Excellent recovery by being caught by me. Can't wait to see what a D12 will do.
07-02-2002	Donald Besaw	Est SU C11-3	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	- Nice flight. Long walk on recovery. Doesn't go that high on a C11 but gets there fast.
08-02-2002	Donald Besaw	Est SU C11-3	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	- Went a tad haywire on takeoff for some reason. Perfect recovery otherwise.
08-18-2002	Donald Besaw	Est SU C11-3	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	- Nice flight.
11-02-2002	Donald Besaw	Est SU C11-3	Just Past (1-2sec)	5-10 mph winds	- Nice flight but whats up with this slight wobble? Shroud lines burnt through causing a chute seperation. Luckily the body landed horizontally so there was no damage.
06-01-2003	Donald Besaw	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down (700 ft)	0-5 mph winds	- Very nice flight, reached about 700 feet. Used reefed chute to increase descent rate and to try to shorten my recovery walk even though I had to walk a long way anyway. No damage.
02-12-2004	Donald Besaw	Est SU C11-3	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	- Nice flight, I heard a loud buzzing which was from the blue film on the body tubes, I noticed that some was missing after recovery. No damage.
09-12-2010	Donald Besaw	Est SU D12-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	II - Perfect first flight of this new Blue Ninja. Straight boost to maybe 750 feet as advertised. Moderate drift on recovery. No damage.
06-06-2003	Bill Bill	Est SU D12-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	- Good flight. Minimal drift on 14in, spill-holed chute.
04-30-2006	Tom+Maggie Brogan	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	10+ mph winds	- Our 1st 24mm launch! It was great, the slow boost and big blue rocket looked great.Good recovery, drifted about 75'. Engine stuck in mount, got out later. This has to go on a D12 next flight!!
07-03-2006	Frank Broughton	Est SU D12-5	Very Late	0-5 mph winds	- Nice straight flight. Too long of a delay, late ejection thus high speed decent caused some of the fancy tube wraping to unravel. Nice looking flight though and landed very close to pad.
03-12-2005	Melvyn Cansell	AT SU E30-4	Very Early	0-5 mph winds	- My first composite motor flight. Launch was unbelievable, it just leapt off the pad. Unfortunately I chose a motor with too short a delay and the chute shredded at ejection and it came in hard. No damage and will fly again with a new chute.
10-10-2004	Christopher Cortez	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Good lift off and flight. Seen this one better than my smaller rockets. A dirft to edge of field using. Blue mylar film coming off and broke one fin when landed on hard packed earth. Tacked down mylar and glued fim back on.
05-18-2006	David Culp	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Awesome flight, nearly straight up, ejection at apogee and good recovery.
07-20-2004	Frank DiMatteo	Est SU D12-3	Didn't Record	5-10 mph winds	Event: NIRA club launch - Nice flight but the 3 second delay is too short.
07-25-2004	M Doherty	Est SU C11-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	5-10 mph winds	- Built this w/ my 4 year old daughter & 10 year old nephew. Lost previous BN to some rocket eating trees a couple years ago. Anyway, great flight on this motor. Impressive liftoff, looked great, and the blue metallic skin reflected nicely in the sun.
07-20-2002	Mike Doherty	Est SU C11-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	5-10 mph winds	- Good flight, but not much altitude. Weird sputtering noise from motor for a couple seconds after burn out. Good first flight.
07-20-2002	Mike Doherty	Est SU E9-4	Apogee - Perfect (1400 ft)	5-10 mph winds	- REALLY kicked butt. About 1400 feet. GREAT flight. The wind took it away over some trees, and its gone, but what a great motor for this rocket!! Yeah!
07-08-2006	Howie Druckerman	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	Event: CRMRC - Good flight
07-29-2006	Howie Druckerman	Est SU D12-3	Didn't Record	Light winds	Event: NYPOWER - D of A through G
08-13-2006	Howie Druckerman	Est SU D12-3	Very Early	Gusty	Event: CRMRC - D of 1/2A to H; ejection about 1 second after liftoff -- caused zippering but cut down body tube and reflyable
04-22-2007	Howie Druckerman	Est SU D12-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	10+ mph winds	Event: High School - Very windy, landed 2 feet from the tree line, several hundred yards from the launcher location. About as high as the weather and field would support.
07-22-2007	Howie Druckerman	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	Light winds	Event: CRMRC - No chute came out with the NC. Rocket core sampled and did damage to the airframe both behind the NC (slight crush) and between the fin can and the launch lug (crushed). Rebuild required but will fly again.
09-29-2002	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- Good first launch and first use of a C11. The rocket had a slight wobble to it going up. Recovery was good.
10-31-2002	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- Great motor and rocket match. Slight wiggle going up.
10-31-2002	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	None - Unknown	Calm	- With the same flight pattern but this time at apogee there was no ejection. The rocket fell horizontally, spinning all the way down. Motor ejection still in tack.
12-28-2002	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- Good flight. Just has a wiggle to it.
05-31-2003	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- A great flight. We had it fly a parachute man. Got the rocket back, but the parachute man is JUST barely got caught on a tree and is stuck.
09-01-2003	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Just an all-around good flying combination
11-27-2003	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- Another nice flight. The center section is now loose and will need new glue (2nd time).
07-20-2004	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- This flies nice on the motor. I was just testing out the wind and field with this flight.
10-23-2004	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Just wonderful. Took the 'chute a minute to open, but all-in-all a great flight (again).
04-22-2007	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	Event: HS - Hard to beat this rocket for fun, low flights.
04-29-2007	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- Perfect
04-29-2007	EMRR	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- Perfect with some altitude. Great fun with two 9 year olds!
04-29-2007	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- With Nomex cloth and nylon parachute... perfect again.
09-20-2008	EMRR	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	Event: CRMRC Monthly - Nice first flight my son for the day.
06-22-2002	Herb Estus	Est SU E9-6	Didn't Record	0-5 mph winds	- Great flight and Recovery
06-23-2002	Herb Estus	Est SU E9-6	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	- Replaced chute with 12 streamer due to our launch area, However Rocket Gods wanted it and it still drifted into the woods Status: Lost
06-25-2006	Jillian+Benjamin Fried	Est SU C11-3	Just Before	0-5 mph winds	- Perfect flight - rocket landed 40 ft. from pad. Jillian almost caught it!
06-26-2005	Matt Gillard	Est SU D12-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	- quick of the pad, nice straight flight, opened just a second over the top, steady drift down.
10-06-2005	Matt Gillard	Est SU D12-5	Didn't See	Calm	- Nice lift off pad, broke through low cloud cover, ejection charge broke swivel, parachute landed by itself 100 meters away, rocket tried its best to core sample, fin snapped off- will repair
02-04-2007	Matt Gillard	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - NC Up	Calm	- good clean flight, used a 12 inch chute - fin popped on landing
03-22-2007	Matt Gillard	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- great flight, recovered well on an 18inch with spill hole.
03-21-2010	Matt Gillard	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	5-10 mph winds	Event: Twycross - Great flight
08-15-2004	Andrew Grippo	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Maiden flight went great, higher altitude then expected with this motor, recovered in good shape
08-28-2004	Andrew Grippo	Est SU C11-3	Just Before	0-5 mph winds	Event: SOLAR Monthly Launch - Delay a little short, ejection just short of apogee
08-27-2005	Andrew Grippo	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	0-5 mph winds	Event: SOLAR Monthly Launch - Good straight flight and recovered without damage. Easy kit to build and fly.
11-03-2005	Andrew Grippo	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Minimal height but fun to watch. No damage after recovery.
04-28-2007	Andrew Grippo	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Monthly Launch - Good boost but delay seemed a little short. No damage
02-23-2008	Andrew Grippo	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Monthly Launch - Nominal Flight
05-27-2006	Chris Guidry	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: May Launch - Part of 3 Ninja Launch
12-22-2003	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- NARTREK Bronze D Motor
01-24-2004	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Good flight. Chute tangle but no damage.
02-14-2004	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	-
04-24-2004	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	Event: TRF 2004:Whitakers -
06-20-2004	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-3	Very Early	0-5 mph winds	Event: Viking Sport - Drag race: tied first mover, first down
01-02-2005	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	-
10-22-2005	Kyle Hancock	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: HOV Camporee - No chute, no damage
10-22-2005	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: HOV Camporee - Textbook flight
06-18-2006	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-3	Didn't Record	5-10 mph winds	-
02-18-2007	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Up	Gusty	-
02-16-2009	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	-
04-19-2009	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Daniel Denmark
05-03-2009	Kyle Hancock	Est SU D12-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	Calm	-
11-01-2008	Bob Harrington	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	5-10 mph winds	Event: CMASS Section Launch -
04-19-2003	Ken Hennessey	Est SU D12-3	Just Past (1-2sec)	Light winds	- Shock cord separated on second flight with an Estes D12-3. Body landed OK with only a fin broken off but repairable. But nose cone with parachute drifted away and could not be recovered. Status: Lost
04-17-2005	Chase Hrncir	Apo SU F10-8	Just Past (1-2sec)	5-10 mph winds	- Just kept going, and going, and going...was in sight the whole time, recovered without a scratch.
08-20-2004	Alex Jordan	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up (about 350 ft)	Calm	- Nice strait boost to about 350 feet, too short delay. Go for 5 second
012206-0-20	Per Karlsson	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Had 2 perfect flights after each other on Estes D12-5. Have flown on 3 second delay before, but this roc really needs the longer 5 second delay. Absolutely beautiful fligts, wonderful rocket on D-power!
06-00-2002	Walter Kjellander	AT SU E15-7	Just Past (1-2sec)	0-5 mph winds	- Several years ago, I flew the Blue Ninja on an Aerotech E15-7. It was a really nice flight, probably around 1500 feet.
01-05-2008	Dan Krause	Est SU E9-6	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	Event: Sod Farm - Great flight on this motor!
02-01-2008	Dan Krause	Est SU E9-6	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Sod Farm - Low winds today. Great flight landed 10ft from the road on the streamer. Great rocket on the E9.
07-04-2004	Morgan Lee	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	10+ mph winds	- Perfect flight. Plenty of wind drift. Landed in plowed field.
07-11-2004	Morgan Lee	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Arrow-straight boost. Baby powder made nice big cloud at ejection. One shroud line broke, so the parachute wobbled and spun a lot during descent, winding the shrouds lines togther. Landed in soft grass, but one fin popped off. Easily repairable.
09-05-2004	Morgan Lee	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Fast boost. Ejected at apogee. All 6 shroud lines snapped from chute. Shrouds and shock cord wrapped around one fin, so body descended horizontally with nose cone hanging below like a hammock. Popped off 2 fins on landing; easily repairable.
11-21-2004	Morgan Lee	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Slow liftoff, nice coast, tracking smoke trail started just before apogee. Beautiful ejection. 15in Rockethead mylar chute inflated perfectly. Gentle landing.
04-03-2005	Morgan Lee	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- Fast straight boost, perfect ejection at apogee. Looked really nice descending under red Rockethead mylar chute. Safe landing @ 50 sec.
09-18-2005	Morgan Lee	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	0-5 mph winds	- Quick boost, good coast. Perfect deployment of red 18-inch mylar chute. Nice landing, but one fin popped loose...again.
10-16-2005	Morgan Lee	Est SU D12-5	Didn't See	5-10 mph winds	- Boost gently arced into wind. Lost sight of it at apogee in near twilight. 18-inch chute opened cleanly. Drifted beyond soccer fields, over parking lot, across street, over building. Chute snagged on deck rail in somebody's back yard. Retrieved okay.
09-03-2006	Morgan Lee	Est SU C11-5	Apogee - NC Down	Calm	Event: Rodeo Grounds - Fast boost, long coast. Popped chute cleanly just past apogee. Safe landing. 42 sec.
09-24-2006	Morgan Lee	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	5-10 mph winds	Event: High School C - Quick straight boost, long coast,then ejection. Shroud lines on 15-inch chute tangled a little so descent was fast, but landed safely on grass. 20 sec.
07-27-2002	David Logan	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	5-10 mph winds	-
10-26-2002	David Logan	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- another good flight, recovered in pad area with 14 inch chute.
10-26-2002	David Logan	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- dissapeared into low clouds, recovered 50 ft from pad on a 14 inch chute.
10-27-2002	David Logan	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Recovered 100 ft away on a 14 inch chute.
09-07-2002	Michael Mangieri	Est SU C11-3	Just Before	0-5 mph winds	- Maiden voyage of Blue Ninja - Great flight on the C11; keeps it well within my small field.
09-14-2002	Michael Mangieri	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	10+ mph winds	- Second flight of this wonderful rocket - first time on a D12. Straight and nice, even in the rather gusty winds.
10-12-2002	Michael Mangieri	Est SU C11-3	Just Past (1-2sec)	Calm	- Nice flight. Good straight trajectory. Ejected just a bit late.
05-17-2003	Michael Mangieri	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - NC Down	10+ mph winds	- Second attempt at 600 ft altitude competition at ECRM. Good flight; closed, but not good enough for ribbon. Some damage to front BT sustained on recovery.
05-17-2003	Michael Mangieri	Est SU D12-3	Didn't Record	10+ mph winds	- Altitude competition at ECRM. Nice flight; landed 1 ft from the tree line with 8 in chute. Didn't close however.
09-06-2003	Michael Mangieri	Est SU C11-3	Didn't Record	Calm	- Nice flight. This is a favorite rocket on mine to fly in smaller fields with slightly more powerful motors than the C6.
09-06-2003	Michael Mangieri	Est SU C11-3	Just Before	Calm	- Another nice flight - ejection was a bit early. Blue plastic wrap on the body tube is starting to unravel.
10-18-2003	Michael Mangieri	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	Calm	- Nice flight.
10-18-2003	Michael Mangieri	Est SU C11-3	Just Before	Calm	- Nice flight - 3 sec delay is a bit too short for the Ninja.
01-17-2004	Michael Mangieri	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- Wonderful boost - straight and true. Blue Ninja is always a favorite at the launch site. Landed on the road access to the park with a noticable thud, but no damage.
05-16-2004	Michael Mangieri	Est SU C11-5	Apogee - NC Down	Calm	- As usual, wonderful flight. Landed just 10ft from the launch pads.
01-18-2009	Gavin Newsom	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	Event: Frisco - Ejection caused chute to separate from shroudlines
01-18-2009	Gavin Newsom	Est SU D12-0	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	Event: Frisco - Two flights. Two chutes separated... Must be the Zero delay ejection charges....
08-07-2010	Vincent Penoso	Est SU C6-5	Apogee - NC Down	5-10 mph winds	Event: New Hampshire - Maiden Flight. A little windy. This rocket really flies!
09-18-2010	Vincent Penoso	Est SU C6-5	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	Event: Big Meadows - this is another great performer. The model flys great right out of the box. Great recovery
12-04-2010	Vincent Penoso	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- This is another predicatable model whichflies stable and recovers well.
06-12-2004	William Rechlicz	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	- 3 identical flights on D power. Straight and stable launches and recovered within 100 feet of pad each time. Looking forward to more flights soon!
09-04-2005	James Reyome	Est SU C6-5	Very Late	0-5 mph winds	- First flight for rocket built out of our Hobby Lobby Stash by my son PJ. Looks good and flies just as well, though the late ejection (low flight, wind caught it) was a bit hairy. Easy to fly and looks good on a kid's shelf too!
10-19-2008	James Reyome	Est SU C6-3	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	Event: Centerville - Only the second flight for the Blue Ninja and again on a C6. Lovely slow liftoff, very realistic, before gaining speed to a picture-perfect apogee. No damage, it will fly again, and maybe next time we'll manage a D, or at least a C11!
08-28-2002	John Rowan-Stern	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- Perfect Flight. Love this rocket..will buy another. Perfect ejection and recovery
09-18-2002	John Rowan-Stern	Est SU C11-5	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- Good flight but need short delay for this heavy bird. Blue film continues to unwind. Recovered within 80' of pad.
02-01-2008	Natalie Ryan	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- Great maiden flight!
02-01-2008	Natalie Ryan	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- Second flight - boosted straight and super fast. Landed within 50 feet of the pad. Upgrade to top-flite chute was a no-brainer.
03-02-2008	Natalie Ryan	Est SU D12-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	10+ mph winds	- Too windy for a D on this bird. Came down 1/4 mile away in swampy ground. Recovery crew (my 6 year old) got to it, though - no damage.
04-06-2008	Natalie Ryan	Est SU D12-3	Apogee - Perfect	Calm	Event: Club launch - Typical arrow-straight flight, landed 100 ft from pad.
11-01-2003	Jim Salem	Est SU E9-6	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	- GREAT engine for this rocket if you have a large field!
03-18-2006	Brad Shea	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	5-10 mph winds	- Good modest height flight (700-750' estimated). Nice straight flight with easy recovery on 12 estes 'chute.
03-18-2006	Brad Shea	Est SU D12-5	--- not selected ---	5-10 mph winds	- Drag race. First off the line and highest/straightest. Last down as well even though using reduced size 'chute (12 vs. Stock 18). Other rocket's guide rod was wrong size (too small).
03-18-2006	Brad Shea	Est SU E9-4	Just Before	5-10 mph winds	- Great flight - but not enough delay. Recovered on 12 chute with spill hole from estimated 1000-1200'. Very stable and impressive. L-o-n-g burn on E9!
03-18-2006	Brad Shea	Est SU E9-6	Apogee - Perfect	5-10 mph winds	- Lost two fins on touchdown. No other damage. Flight was great otherwise. Using a 12 Estes 'chute w/spill hole. Rocket landed gently but the fin attachment design is poor. Tried Epoxy and CA.
03-19-2006	Brad Shea	Est SU E9-6	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- This is the right delay for the E9. Longer delay might work if you have a need to recover lower but would be far past apogee. Lost a fin on landing. Spill hole might be too big - fin design at fault.
05-26-2007	Dwayne Shmel	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Up	10+ mph winds	- Weathercocked into wind but deployment was still almost perfect. Estimate about 600' at apogee.
06-21-2007	Dwayne Shmel	Est SU C11-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	5-10 mph winds	Event: Solstice Launch - Probably should have used a 3 second delay. Nice flight though.
07-21-2007	Dwayne Shmel	Est SU D12-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	10+ mph winds	Event: Club Launch - High flight. Long 1,000 recovery walk
07-28-2007	Dwayne Shmel	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	0-5 mph winds	Event: Club Launch Nowthen - Drag race with another club member flying a Ninja on same motor. His left the rod about 5 sooner. He won.
06-21-2008	Dwayne Shmel	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	Gusty	Event: 2008 Solstice Launch - Perfect flight.
10-25-2008	Dwayne Shmel	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	5-10 mph winds	Event: Club Launch - Nowthen -
10-24-2009	Dwayne Shmel	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Club Launch Nowthen -
02-01-2003	Michael Simpson	Est SU D12-7	Apogee - NC Up	0-5 mph winds	-
04-13-2008	Keith Thomas	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	5-10 mph winds	- First flight with the Blue Ninja. Stayed in sight and came down just fine on parachute. People watching loved it.
04-13-2008	Keith Thomas	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	5-10 mph winds	- This was the 2nd flight of the Blue Ninja. Flew very nicely but when descending on a parachute it just barely drifted into a tree. While looking at it, the wind caught the chute and pulled it out. One fin broke when it hit the ground. Easy to repair.
12-14-2006	Andy Turits	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Light winds	- My first E2X model (after about 3 yrs.)...Pleasant flight to about 300 feet...Mylar chute made from 18 sparkly party balloon didn't open fully but enough to slow the Ninja to land without damage.
12-14-2006	Andy Turits	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Light winds	- More talcum on sparkly mylar party balloon parachute did the trick...Really impressive second flight and perfect chute deployment from this bird which took very little time to build and looks pretty cool. Nice combination for my smallish field.
12-21-2006	Andy Turits	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	Light winds	- Chute failed on what would have otherwise been a great flight to about 450 feet or so. No damage after the fall
12-21-2006	Andy Turits	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - NC Up	Light winds	- Same as first flight today...chute failure...still no damage
12-21-2006	Andy Turits	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Light winds	- Third flight proved to be the charm today. Mylar party balloon chute opened perfectly. Ninja landed about 15 feet from pad from an estimated altitue of 400 feet. Blue Ninja on this engine is a great flyer in light or no wind on a small to medium field.
12-30-2006	Andy Turits	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	Light winds	- The Ninja again turns in a low maintenance, high quality flight. Perfect in every aspect to about 350 feet, recycled mylar balloon chute deployed perfectly, tuch down about 75 feet from the pad.
05-05-2007	Andy Turits	Est SU C11-3	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	- The usual nice entertaining 400 foot flight with no surprises.
07-28-2007	Scott Turnbull	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: NYPower 12 -
12-15-2007	Scott Turnbull	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - Perfect	0-5 mph winds	Event: Club Launch -
07-22-2009	Tim Tyler	Est SU D12-5	Late (2-3sec)	0-5 mph winds	- This rocket flies great. Kind of a heavy clunker, dramatic liftoff and straight boost to an impressive altitude, but still low enough to see ejection and ease recovery.
03-28-2009	John Venable	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	0-5 mph winds	Event: moffett field - Slow straight boost to 800' perfect flight and recovery, short walk to retrieve.
09-19-2009	John Venable	Est SU D12-7	Late (2-3sec)	0-5 mph winds	Event: moffett field - Another good flight but too much delay for a low wind launch, but still way cool .
07-27-2002	Jason Vennard	Est SU D12-5	Just Past (1-2sec)	5-10 mph winds	- Maiden flight, Good flight and good recovery on nylon 16 chute. Like review we too had problems after one flight with blue film peeling off of rocket body, otherwise excellent.
04-03-2005	Jason Vennard	Est SU D12-5	Apogee - NC Down	10+ mph winds	- Nice flight, angled due to wind so a bit of an arching flight. Landed in low tree and recovered. 12 nylon chute to reduce wind drift.