Brief:
I cut up an Estes No. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! 2 Sky Writer and used t' components t' build a altitude-seekin' model with an altimeter bay. PencilPushr was built specifically for t' NARTREK Advanced task o' achievin' at least one-half o' t' Class "C" NARRRRR altitude record for E-motors o' 1128 meters set by James Bosler on 6/26/04. So t' goal was 564 meters or more (1861 feet). This was nay that hard t' do, arrr, but you do need t' carry an altimeter aboard a light, shiver me timbers, me bucko, smallish rocket--and you don't want t' lose your $70 instrument.

Modifications:
I have used t' plastic fincan o' t' Estes 2-stage Mongoose for a number o' scratch buildin' projects. I wish they sold it separately. T' Sky Writer is basically a shortened Mongoose sustainer stage with t' nifty and eye-catchin' "No. Well, blow me down! 2 Pencil" paint job. Ya scallywag! I cut t' "pencil" down t' 7" total length and plugged t' "eraser" end with t' sawed aft end o' a 24mm AeroTech motor case t' create a bulkhead. I epoxied a small eye-bolt from a picture-hangin' set t' hold t' recovery system shock cord into t' nozzle. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! A 4" length o' 25mm motor tube was butt-glued t' t' aft end o' t' plastic fin can. Avast! Avast! Strips o' glass cloth glued betwixt each fin were used with epoxy t' reinforce t' joint. Arrr! Begad! T' entire motor tube be then wrapped with a layer o' thin glass cloth t' firmly glass in place t' motor tube, creatin' a strong, lightweight structure. Avast! A 5" length o' 25mm motor tube was then glued t' t' forward end o' t' fincan t' complete t' airframe. Avast! T' recovery system shock cord, me hearties, 4' o' para cord, me bucko, was passed through a small hole in t' body tube midpoint, me hearties, matey, anchored with a knot which was covered with a sawed half o' a BIC pen cap. Ya scallywag! A 12" TopFlite X-chute be used for recovery. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Rocket was left unpainted, me hearties, except for t' "No. Well, blow me down! 2 Pencil" payload bay and nose cone.

Construction:
I selected t' Estes Sky Writer because it was inexpensive, and me calculations showed that a 25mm diameter airframe with space for a Perfectflite MicroAlt would be necessary t' achieve t' goal. Ahoy! Ahoy! I cut up t' kit parts so I could utilize t' unique "pencil" body as t' payload compartment and t' plastic fin can as a simple, me hearties, strong way o' holdin' t' fins on at t' speeds involved. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' motor t' be used was t' AT E15-7. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' "empty" weight o' t' rocket o' 88 grams (3.1 oz.) includes a Perfectflite MicroAlt in t' payload bay with a bit o' bubblewrap under it.

T' Estes components were first rate. Blimey! I never use their plastic chutes and underpants elastic shock cord though. I prefer higher quality substitutes.

Flight:
Test flights with Estes C11-5 and D12-7 gave climbs o' 404' and 952', respectively. Avast! Blimey! Motors were friction fit with maskin' tape with t' protrudin' 1/2" o' t' motor taped t' t' exterior o' t' motor tube with a couple wraps o' maskin' tape. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Bottom 1/2" o' t' motors were wrapped with maskin' tape as a motor stop. Well, blow me down! Blimey! These test flights indicated that under ideal conditions, me bucko, I should be able t' just barely achieve me goal o' at least 1862' with an E-motor. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! Simulation was based on an AT E15-7. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! I was worried about losin' t' thin' and me $70 altimiter with it, so I waited until I had an opportunity t' fly with me brothers up at t' MASA launch site in central Minnesota, which is held on a huge sod farm. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! On t' first try with perfect calm, t' E15-7 lit and blasted out o' sight perfectly straight up. Aye aye! We lost track o' it, but fortunately, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, a couple o' kids spotted PencilPushr landin' on t' huge expanse o' close-cut sod and directed us t' it. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! MicroAlt be peepin' out "1-9-2-8". Avast! Yippee, arrr, goal achieved! Blimey! Later that afternoon, shiver me timbers, arrr, I flew a LOC Legacy on a G80-10 t' 1920' t' exceed 1/2 o' t' NARRRRR record for a G-motor flight (3722', shiver me timbers, me hearties, by F. Hunt on 9-21-96). Ya scallywag! Blimey! However, t' rest o' t' NARTREK Advanced-Competition task has proven much harder, me bucko, matey, and I'm still pluggin' away at it.

Summary:
PROs: Inexpensive, easy t' build. Well, blow me down! A decent fun-fly rocket on C or D motors.

CONs: Hard t' see and track at nearly 2000'. I expect t' E-altitude record will be broken in t' not-to-distant future, and PencilPushr may nay be as useful for t' NARTREK Advanced task if t' new record is more than 4000'.

No reason t' go t' t' fuss o' buildin' PencilPushr unless you want t' carry an altimeter.