Brief:
I cut up an Estes No. Aye aye! 2 Sky Writer and used t' components t' build a altitude-seekin' model with an altimeter bay. Ya scallywag! 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. Well, blow me down! So t' goal was 564 meters or more (1861 feet). Ya scallywag! This was nay that hard t' do, but you do need t' carry an altimeter aboard a light, 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. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I wish they sold it separately. Arrr! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' Sky Writer is basically a shortened Mongoose sustainer stage with t' nifty and eye-catchin' "No. Aye aye! Blimey! 2 Pencil" paint job. Aye aye! Blimey! 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. Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I epoxied a small eye-bolt from a picture-hangin' set t' hold t' recovery system shock cord into t' nozzle. Avast! Blimey! A 4" length o' 25mm motor tube was butt-glued t' t' aft end o' t' plastic fin can. Strips o' glass cloth glued betwixt each fin were used with epoxy t' reinforce t' joint. T' entire motor tube be then wrapped with a layer o' thin glass cloth t' firmly glass in place t' motor tube, ya bilge rat, creatin' a strong, shiver me timbers, lightweight structure. A 5" length o' 25mm motor tube was then glued t' t' forward end o' t' fincan t' complete t' airframe. Begad! Blimey! T' recovery system shock cord, 4' o' para cord, was passed through a small hole in t' body tube midpoint, me bucko, anchored with a knot which was covered with a sawed half o' a BIC pen cap. Well, blow me down! Blimey! A 12" TopFlite X-chute was used for recovery. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! Rocket be left unpainted, me hearties, ya bilge rat, except for t' "No. 2 Pencil" payload bay and nose cone.

Construction:
I selected t' Estes Sky Writer because it was inexpensive, ya bilge rat, and me calculations showed that a 25mm diameter airframe with space for a Perfectflite MicroAlt would be necessary t' achieve t' goal. Aye aye! 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, strong way o' holdin' t' fins on at t' speeds involved. Arrr! Aye aye! T' motor t' be used was t' AT E15-7. Aye aye! 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. I never use their plastic chutes and underpants elastic shock cord though. Ya scallywag! I prefer higher quality substitutes.

Flight:
Test flights with Estes C11-5 and D12-7 gave climbs o' 404' and 952', ya bilge rat, respectively. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! 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. Bottom 1/2" o' t' motors were wrapped with maskin' tape as a motor stop. Ya scallywag! These test flights indicated that under ideal conditions, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I should be able t' just barely achieve me goal o' at least 1862' with an E-motor. Blimey! Simulation be based on an AT E15-7. Blimey! I be worried about losin' t' thin' and me $70 altimiter with it, matey, me bucko, 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. Ahoy! On t' first try with perfect calm, shiver me timbers, me hearties, t' E15-7 lit and blasted out o' sight perfectly straight up. We lost track o' it, matey, but fortunately, ya bilge rat, a couple o' kids spotted PencilPushr landin' on t' huge expanse o' close-cut sod and directed us t' it. Ya scallywag! Begad! MicroAlt be peepin' out "1-9-2-8". Arrr! Yippee, goal achieved! Later that afternoon, 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', by F. Arrr! Hunt on 9-21-96). Begad! Blimey! However, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' rest o' t' NARTREK Advanced-Competition task has proven much harder, ya bilge rat, and I'm still pluggin' away at it.

Summary:
PROs: Inexpensive, shiver me timbers, 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'. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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.