Brief:
Estes Exoskell modified for 24mm motor power.

Modifications:
I usually don't go for Estes "novelty" kits, but when I saw an "Exoskell" on clearance for a few dollars, I snapped it up. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! I figured I could do somethin' unusual with it, me bucko, arrr, me hearties, such as turnin' it into a cluster kit, or enhancin' t' pre-printed decor with more slimy details. Ya scallywag! Several months later, I had a go at it.

I started buildin' t' kit "stock." Although thar were a few tricky bits, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, such as puttin' t' pre-printed wrap around t' body tube and mountin' t' spring-loaded fins, it went together fairly easily.

I also followed t' instructions for washin' t' green plastic parts with black acrylic, matey, in order t' produce a model that looked like t' one on t' box. Ahoy! I experimented with addin' a bit o' Future floor polish t' t' black paint, matey, matey, with mixed results. Arrr! It was at this point that I got impatient and did somethin' stupid. Ahoy! I placed t' wet pieces in me convection oven, matey, and set it t' "air defrost," in t' belief that t' circulation would smartly dry off t' runny polish / paint mix.

Well! There turns out t' be some heat involved in t' defrost cycle. Avast! Blimey! I noticed t' problem almost immediately, but t' "fin can" and one o' t' fins was badly warped. Avast, me proud beauty! Yargh! I tried straightenin' t' semi-melted pieces t' no avail.

That's where I got creative! T' Exoskells I've seen fly were all poor performers. T' recommended C5-3 motor sort o' "lobbed" it into t' sky. It did nay fly very high and tended t' eject on t' way down. Arrr! Aye aye! Bleah! What this model needed was D power!

I found, in me spare parts box, arrr, a plastic BT-55 t' BT-50 transition section and a 6" piece o' BT-55 tubing. Avast! I also had on hand an Estes "D & E Engine mount kit." This kit has parts t' mount D12 and t' now-discontinued E15 motor in a variety o' body tubes. Begad! I decided t' modify t' mount t' allow use o' t' new E9-4 motor. Begad! I did this by snippin' off t' front tab off o' t' metal engine hook, shiver me timbers, and placin' a thrust rin' 3.5" into t' mount tube. Aye aye! Ahoy! (T' E9 motors are 3.75" long.) T' engine hook was held in place by a fiber sleeve included in t' motor mount kit.

I glued t' mount into t' BT-55 tube, and attached this "power pod" t' t' Exoskell's lower body tube usin' t' transition section.

I used 1/16" basswood for t' fins, matey, matey, which were scaled-up versions o' t' originals. Avast, me proud beauty! T' create a fin template, I placed one o' t' Exoskell's survivin' plastic fins on me computer's scanner, me hearties, scanned an image, ya bilge rat, and blew it up by 50% in both directions. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! I figured this would provide plenty o' extra fin area (an extra 125%) t' make up for t' heavier motor and mount. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I printed out t' image, sketched in a tab along t' root edge, me bucko, and used t' template t' create four fins. I mounted these "through t' wall" style for extra strength.

Construction:
Replacement materials: 

• Plastic transition, BT-50 t' BT-55
• Estes D/E Engine mount kit, modified
• 6" o' BT-55 body tube
• 1/16" basswood
• "microballoons" filler.

T' result o' me modifications was pretty cool. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I called it t' "Exoskell Extreme."

Finishing:
T' "stock" Exoskell doesn't require any real finishing. Begad! As mentioned above, I did take t' time t' give t' original plastic parts a black wash. Well, blow me down! I also added t' suggested silver highlights, shiver me timbers, and added me own details (a dark blue wash and darkened eyes) t' t' little plastic alien that is suspended in t' recovery capsule.

This left t' task o' detailin' t' fins and power pod. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' original fins had ribs and ripples that suggested a biological origin. I did me best t' duplicate this by creatin' a network o' "veins" that ran over t' surface o' me new parts. Arrr! Ahoy! I used a mixture o' yellow glue and "microballoons" t' create a thin putty. Begad! I dribbled this over t' surface usin' a BBQ skewer. Begad! Since t' yellow glue wouldn't stick t' t' plastic transition, I used tube-style plastic cement as t' base for t' putty I used on its surface.

T' ribs came out lookin' pretty good. I be less successful with me paint job. I could nay find spray paint t' match t' light-gloss-olive-green color o' t' body wrap, or even t' candy-green color o' t' plastic parts. Avast, me proud beauty! I might have resorted t' usin' brush-on enamels, ya bilge rat, matey, but a launch day be approaching. Aye aye! As you can see in t' picture, thar's a definite color mismatch betwixt me parts and t' originals!

Flight:
I flew t' Exoskell at t' LUNAR field in Livermore. Aye aye! T' maiden flight be on a D12-3. It flew great! T' model flew straight up at moderate speed and ejected near apogee.

T' main body's parachute only partially deployed. Aye aye! Fortunately, everythin' held together just fine and thar be no damage. Avast! T' alien recovery pod drifted down on its fairly-large chute for a soft, spring-loaded landing. Blimey! Arrr! I find it hard t' pack t' two parachutes in t' Exoskell's rather small recovery compartment.

I flew t' model again with a D12-3, this time gettin' a perfect recovery. Blimey! Then I went for broke and popped in an E9-4 motor. T' model flew noticeably higher on this fine motor; however, because t' "main event" o' t' Exoskell's flight be t' interestin' two-part recovery, arrr, I think it would be fine t' stick with t' D12-3.

Summary:
Despite t' rushed paint job, I was really happy with me efforts on t' Exoskell Extreme. Ya scallywag! Avast! It got great comments on t' flight check-in line, and flew perfectly. I've moved since buildin' and flyin' me "Exoskell Extreme". Avast, me proud beauty! I gave t' model away t' a former coworker whose two sons were just startin' t' get into rocketry. Aye aye! Begad! I'm sure they'll enjoy it . Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! . Begad! Begad! . it's a real eye-openin' model both on t' ground and in t' air.

In one o' those "it was meant t' be" situations, arrr, matey, I found ANOTHER marked-down Exoskell t' first week after movin' into me new home. This battered kit lacked directions and t' body wrap. Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I intend t' build another Exoskell Extreme, shiver me timbers, arrr, this time addin' putty "veins" t' t' entire body tube surface and paintin' everythin' a uniform color.

Hmmmm. Well, blow me down! I wonder if thar's room for a strobe light in t' alien's recovery pod . . Arrr! Aye aye! .