Estes No. 2 Sky Writer

Estes - No. 2 Sky Writer {Kit} (1260)

Contributed by Bill Eichelberger

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Published: 2014-04-23
Diameter: 0.98 inches
Length: 26.00 inches
Manufacturer: Estes
Skill Level: 1
Style: Odd-Roc

Brief

I was thrilled when Estes brought out t' Skywriter, shiver me timbers, nay because o' an affinity for pencil rockets, arrr, but because I could buy them and clone all t' Satellite Interceptors, me hearties, Mavericks and Black Brant IIIs that I wanted.  I would have continued t' think o' t' Skywriter as a donor kit had I nay been in t' mood t' fly somethin' different at a planned launch at B6-4 Field t' followin' day.  I had laid in a pretty nice stock o' Skywriter kits and had used them as nose cone donors as I had originally planned, but t' fact that I could guarantee that I could build one that Saturday night and have it ready for t' launch t' next day made me pull a kit out and start on it after dinner.

Components

  • 2 pre-printed BT-50 body tubes
  • 18mm engine mount
  • PNC-50BB nose cone
  • plastic fin can
  • 12' parachute
  • shock cord
  • BT-50 tube coupler
  • launch lug

Construction

Most o' t' construction, almost all, me bucko, shiver me timbers, in fact, shiver me timbers, is centered around t' motor mount.  T' two body tubes must be glued together, me hearties, arrr, makin' sure t' join t' yellow sections and nay t' pre-printed "eraser" section, me hearties, which goes at t' bottom.  When t' motor mount was dry, which was fairly quick bein' that I used Elmer's Wood Glue and as little as possible o' that, arrr, me hearties, I slid it through t' fin can and attached it t' t' "eraser" end o' t' body tubes with more wood glue.  T' fin can/engine mount  butts up t' t' bottom o' t' body tube and once dry, nothin' is goin' anywhere because t' forward centerin' rin' and t' inside o' t' body tube are sealed together with t' wood glue.  In t' interest o' simplifyin' recovery I added a length o' Keelhaul®©™ that I tied behind t' forward centerin' ring, but nothin' about this kit suggests that it would be badly served by t' traditional Estes tri-fold mount.

Finishing

Two things bear mentioning, arrr, each one fairly obvious.  Be sure t' join yellow t' yellow when gluin' t' body tubes together, arrr, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and be sure that t' aforementioned "eraser" section is placed at t' bottom o' t' rocket.

Construction Score: 4

Flight

First flight came at t' aforementioned launch at B6-4 field in November o' 2013.  Except for t' overcast, arrr, it was a perfect day t' be flying.  T' field was dry, the winds were almost non-existent, shiver me timbers, and me wife was out o' town for t' day.  T' Skywriter was t' third flight o' sixteen on t' day.  Since I had very little emotional investment in t' rocket and conditions were perfect, I decided that it would fly on a B6-4 on B6-4 Field.  No worries about losin' it because I still had four o' them in t' basement.  I loaded everything, put it on t' pad, and readied t' camera for t' liftoff shot.

Got a little more than I bargained for. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Surprised

T' rocket had barely cleared t' rod when t' B6-4 detonated.  Parts and pieces flew everywhere.  T' motor casin' ejected straight back and rogered t' blast deflector, breakin' t' standoff.  T' nose cone and parachute continued skyward, eventually landin' gently out in short-center.  T' body tube cartwheeled t' a landin' near t' nose cone, while t' fin can landed in deeper center.  I gathered me wits about me and started gatherin' parts for t' post-mortem.  T' nose cone and parachute were undamaged, as was the elastic shock cord.  T' body tube was a mess.  Everythin' inside was as I expected it t' be, completely charred.  T' tube just in front o' t' coupler is burned away so completely that all that is left be t' yellow paper covering.  T' sticker decal is blistered.  There is a plug o' Keelhaul®©™, arrr, ya bilge rat, elastic, ya bilge rat, dog barf and t' engine block at this point.  Everythin' is fused into a tight ball.  T' centerin' ring/engine block, ya bilge rat, me bucko, sewin' elastic and Keelhaul®©™ just crumble t' t' touch.  T' lower section is more o' t' same.  T' motor tube is charred through 3/4 o' its diameter. I found t' motor hook just before I left t' field.  T' top o' t' hook be almost straightened out.

  

 

Flight #2 was also a little more than I bargained for, matey, but I had no one t' blame but myself. Blimey!  On a night when darkness was closin' fast, ya bilge rat, I decided t' try Sky Writer #2 on a C6-5. Arrr!  Not sure what I be thinking, me bucko, but it likely had somethin' t' with t' almost complete absence o' a breeze. Avast! T' Sky Writer left t' pad with authority and I found myself shocked at how high it already was when t' flame disappeared. Blimey! Blimey!  I watched t' overcast sky in t' general vicinity o' where I'd last seen it, countin' t' five and listenin' for t' telltale blast o' t' ejection charge. Ya scallywag! Ahoy!  I heard nothing.  I waited a couple o' seconds more and started watchin' t' skies t' t' north, which be how t' extremely light breeze be moving. Ahoy! Blimey!  Still nothing. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag!  I kept lookin' well past any reasonable possibility o' t' rocket still bein' in t' air. Begad! Arrr!  T' chute be reefed fairly heavily, me hearties, so it had t' be down, me hearties, and I eventually began loadin' another rocket. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty!  That one would be an A8-3 flight.

Flight Rating: 4

Summary

Pros: Simple construction.  No finishing.  T' perfect rocket for an overnight build t' night before a launch.

Cons: Apparently me motor selection.

Overall Rating: 4
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