Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Diameter: | 0.98 inches |
Length: | 26.00 inches |
Manufacturer: | Estes |
Skill Level: | 1 |
Style: | Odd-Roc |
Brief:
T' 'Sky Writer #2' rocket kit is a unique and fast buildin' Skill Level 1 model from t' Estes product line. Begad! Begad! It's a #2 pencil rocket that comes pre-painted with a white plastic 4-fin can and parachute recovery and flies on t' 18mm Estes motor family t' include t' A8-3, B4-4, B6-4 and C6-5. Begad! Ya scallywag! At just over 26" long, this is a hearty sized model and a good looker.
Construction:
T' kit came in a colorful bag and included:
All items were packaged well, ya bilge rat, which is typical o' Estes models and no items were missin' or damaged. Ahoy! Begad! T' only thin' I did nay care for be t' very thin body tubes; nay typical o' t' 'hearty' ones I have had t' pleasure o' workin' with lately.
Construction was straight forward, matey, with well written instructions and t' rocket kit went together in no time. Arrr! I built it from stock with no modifications just t' see how well it would hold up. Avast! Aye aye! Blimey! T' motor mount was built first, then installed into a body tube in typical fashion. Next it was time t' couple t' body tubes; a coupler is included in t' kit t' mate t' two tubes and t' instructions tell you t' roll t' tubes on a table once glued t' make sure they are straight. Begad! Blimey! Also note that when installin' t' bodytube assembly into t' fin can that you position t' motor retainer in line with t' slot on t' fin can. Aye aye! Avast! Blimey! Once t' model was built, me hearties, matey, they have you scrape off some paint t' install t' launch lug. Arrr! Arrr! Blimey! This be easily done and I moved on t' t' recovery installation.
T' parachute was cut out and constructed as usual. Avast! I also used t' three-fold paper shock cord mount but did make one change. Aye aye! I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord with an extra long piece o' elastic from me spool; t' cord was installed in t' mouth o' t' body tube and t' mount was completely covered in glue. Ahoy! Arrr! Note that I used Alphaetic Resin throughout t' construction o' this model. Finally, t' shock cord was tied t' t' nosecone and t' parachute be added.
Finishing:
T' kit comes pre-painted, so thar was no finishin' at all. Begad! Begad! I wanted t' note that t' painted body tubes still showed a lot o' spiral, me bucko, arrr, but since t' color be yellow, matey, it didn't look too bad. Blimey! T' final touches were added though thar be a wrap-around decal for t' eraser and a '#2 Sky Writer' decal that be placed lengthwise up t' side o' t' rocket. All in all, matey, it looks pretty good for an ARF (Almost Ready t' Fly) kit.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
It was time t' fly t' Estes SkyWriter, and I had me daughter prep t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! After some waddin' and an A8-3, shiver me timbers, it was placed on t' rod and t' countdown be on. Begad! It launched straight up and fast, even on smaller motors; an impressive flight.
Recovery:
T' model started t' arc over/hover when t' ejection charge fired and it floated safely t' t' ground. Well, blow me down! Begad! One more launch was done, me bucko, this time on a B4-4 and it was a good choice for t' rocket as it left t' pad in a hurry, yet we were still able t' track t' flight. Arrr! A good day for a launch and t' SkyWriter performed well for an inexpensive rocket.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
T' Skywriter is actually one o' t' nicer quick kits from Estes and performed well durin' flight. Aye aye! Arrr! T' extended shock cord I added I believe increased it's life span somewhat, as it takes less o' a beatin' durin' ejection. Aye aye! T' paint job looks good, me hearties, even though it is quite thin and t' spirals don't show too bad under t' yellow color. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' only thin' I can say bad about this model is that I do nay care for t' very thin bodytubes Estes uses for these kits. Avast! Avast! They can very easily be crushed or creased, so care has t' be taken when handling. Ahoy! Aye aye! Besides that, matey, t' kit is a good flier and I recommend it t' everyone for a fast, weekend builder; try it and you'lll be writin' t' skies with smoke trails from your Estes #2 Sky Writer.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
I was thrilled when Estes brought out the Skywriter, not because of an affinity for pencil rockets, but because I could buy them and clone all the Satellite Interceptors, Mavericks and Black Brant IIIs that I wanted. I would have continued to think of the Skywriter as a donor kit had I not been in the mood to fly something different at a planned launch at B6-4 Field the ...
A 26-inch long rocket designed to look like a pencil. Made by Estes. An E2X model that is powered by standard engines (B6-4, C6-5, ect.). Components 2 main body tube sections Engine moun tbuilding components plastic nose cone 4 inter-connected plastic fins rubber shock cord 12 inch preassembled parachute /h2 Very easy to build, ...
New E2X series rocket from Estes that looks like a standard yellow wooden No.2 pencil. It flies on A-C motors and uses a 12 inch parachute for recovery. The kit came in a plastic bag with a header card. I was impressed with the packing of this kit. The main body tube with the eraser decal and nose cone came in their own individual wrappers. The kit came with the motor mount tube, hook, and ...
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D.C. (August 7, 2002)