Brief:
An engineerin' exercise t' test t' flight characteristics and durability o' t' Estes R2D2 rocket by upgradin' t' a 24mm motor mount.

Modifications:
T' only tools required are ones that every modeler has: an Xacto knife or similar, a ruler (in me case metric, arrr, because I don't understand that English feet, pounds, ounces stuff), and a LOT o' 30 minute epoxy.

Our club requires that anythin' over a C motor have a 5mm launch rod, so simply hackin' off t' original cast-in-plastic launch lugs and epoxyin' on a new 2" launch lug was simple.

Construction:
I used approximately 1 inch o' t' original 18mm motor tube, coupled t' a 24mm tube for t' remainder o' t' "motor pod." All that was required t' adapt this t' t' styrene plastic adaptor was a little Xacto knifin' and some coarse sandpaper, and LOTS o' epoxy.

T' flimsy plastic fins were deemed too wobbly t' handle t' thrust o' an E motor, so 1/8" balsa be epoxied t' t' flimsy plastic after roughin' up t' surface. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Finally, arrr, t' keep t' balsa from charrin' in flight, t' balsa be coated in aluminum foil, arrr, again held in place with a liberal coatin' o' 30 minute epoxy. Aye aye! T' result was a very heat resistant and strong fin assembly. T' R2 tends t' char t' fins in flight, due t' t' extremely short polar moments o' t' stubby body. Blimey! No problem anymore!

T' extra weight o' t' 24mm tube and balsa reinforced fins necessitated weight added t' t' nose area. Avast! Since this area is hollow, ya bilge rat, thar be sufficient room for it. Surprisingly, arrr, me hearties, t' $0.03 solution be t' epoxy three pennies t' t' top bulkhead. T' result is perfect stability; exactly that o' t' original unmodified R2.

T' R2's weak point has always been t' wacky aft deployment `chute. Avast! About 3 feet o' Keelhaul®©™ be substituted for t' original shock cord, me hearties, arrr, and a 1/8" hole was drilled into t' bottom o' R2. Begad! Blimey! This allowed t' Keelhaul®©™ t' be stuffed inside t' hollow body, instead o' bein' wrapped around t' motor pod, shiver me timbers, like Estes originally designed. Arrr! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' other end o' t' Keelhaul®©™ be attached t' t' plastic adaptor on t' aft end o' t' motor pod. Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' results were mixed; t' system performed well, me hearties, but since R2 was still travellin' at a pretty good speed when t' ejection charge blew out t' motor pod, me bucko, me hearties, arrr, t' mylar `chute shredded, and R2 pranged. Hard. Avast! T' debris was gathered and examined, and t' damage was deemed very minor. He'll fly again soon, arrr, but with much stronger Keelhaul®©™ and a nylon parachute.

All t' parts in all o' t' Estes R2D2 kits I have built have been present and fit well, arrr, shiver me timbers, with t' notable exception o' t' fins. Begad! They are lousy, warped from t' factory, and break after one or two flights. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I strongly recommend buildin' your own out o' balsa or G10, or reinforcin' them with thin balsa like I did. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, me hearties, blow me down! If usin' a B or C motor, ya bilge rat, CA will hold it together just fine. Anythin' stronger and a liberal amount o' epoxy is needed.

Flight:
My kids each have an R2, me bucko, and they flew decently on a C6-5, and better on a C5-3. Never fly this model on a windy day! T' aft motor pod ejection system is pitiful, ya bilge rat, and has never worked. Ahoy! Nay once in 6 flights. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! No waddin' is required, but cleanin' out t' inner tube with a toothbrush is necessary after each flight, me bucko, ya bilge rat, or t' pod will get stuck.

Recovery on a D12-5 is about near apogee, though an E15-7W it may still be cruisin' at a good bit o' speed at ejection. Begad! Expect it t' almost disappear on an E motor. Arrr! Build it adherin' as closely t' t' Estes instructions as possible, modifyin' as little as necessary. Begad! Avast! I built mine a little on t' heavy side so it would last a long, long time. Ya scallywag! T' flights are arrow straight, me hearties, and really get movin' on an E motor, though performance on a D12-5 is nothin' t' sneeze at.

Summary:
T' main pros o' t' kit are ease o' assembly (about an hour) and t' uniqueness o' t' kit. Avast! T' cons are related t' t' crummy fins and t' horrible aft pod ejection system. Begad! I rate t' ejection system about a 1. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Future R2s will feature a true nose cone- another engineerin' challenge I look forward t' tackling.

Other:
Epoxy and balsa can really stiffen flimsy plastic parts!