Estes Sky Writer

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

Contributed by Dillon Frazier

Construction Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Published: 2012-02-29
Diameter: 0.98 inches
Length: 26.00 inches
Manufacturer: Estes
Skill Level: 1
Style: Odd-Roc

Brief

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

 

Construction

Very easy to build, and perfect for beginners. Body tube doesn't seem very durable. Cheap plastic nose. The fins are extremely easy and certainly beat the balsa wood fins that take so much time and effort to install. Overall, a little cheap but easy to build.

Finishing

Other than self stick decals, this rocket has no other finishing to be done.

Construction Score: 3

Flight

Flies very high and straight. Fun to watch. Use smaller engines (B6-4) until you're sure you have enough space to use more powerful engines. If you don't you'll probably never see this wonderful rocket again.

Recovery

The 12-inch parachute is the right size for this rocket. Provides a fairly rapid descent back to earth, which is good because it flies extremely high. Use plenty of wadding, because one of the parachute cords on mine was burnt and completely severed in half. My rocket was succesfuly recovered, but suffered damage on the parachute, body tube (dents: was fixable), engine mount, and fins (knocked out of place). 

Flight Rating: 3

Summary

Good rocket, not perfect. Use powerful glue when installing the fins onto the lower body tube.

Overall Rating: 3
Other Reviews
  • Estes No. 2 Sky Writer By Bill Eichelberger (April 23, 2014)

    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 ...

  • Estes No. 2 Estes Sky Writer By Carl Tulanko

    The 'Sky Writer #2' rocket kit is a unique and fast building Skill Level 1 model from the Estes product line. It's a #2 pencil rocket that comes pre-painted with a white plastic 4-fin can and parachute recovery and flies on the 18mm Estes motor family to include the A8-3, B4-4, B6-4 and C6-5. At just over 26" long, this is a hearty sized model and a good looker. The kit came in a colorful bag ...

  • Estes No. 2 Estes Sky Writer By Donald Besaw Jr

    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 ...

Flights

Comments:

avatar
Leroy Spicer (March 7, 2012)

Sky Writer is easy to build and fun to fly. First flight, flew high and straight under windy conditions. Recovery was not so good, strong winds drifted the chute & rocket 600' off the launch site, splash landing in a water filled drainage ditch. Rocket was recovered intact with a partially melted fin assembly and repairable lower tube damage.

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