Brief:
T' problem with overpowerin' a "stubby" design like t' C-powered Estes Fat Boy with heavier engines be t' CG dilemma -- t' more power, t' more nose weight is needed t' keep t' CG in limits, matey, negatin' t' Oomph you thought you were adding. Begad! I have modified Fat Boy for F-power with a nose cone extension t' counter-ballast this with minimal added weight.

Modifications:
T' only other modifications I made t' create me Schnoz Boy was some modest reinforcin' t' accommodate t' 8-fold increase in thrust (C t' F).

T' stock fins were trimmed t' fit a 24mm motor tube (or a 29 mm works, too) and doubled on one side with 1/64" sheet plywood (a snap, this stuff cuts with a scissors) epoxied on. Avast! A 1/8" Lite-Ply-tm doubler was constructed for each o' t' cardstock motor centerin' rings supplied with t' kit. Ahoy! Arrr! And that's it. Avast! T' complete t' make-over, ya bilge rat, I added a "professional" recovery system consistin' o' an 18" LOC nylon chute and 10 feet o' nylon Marine Corps shoe lace (see landin' photo), me hearties, anchored through t' body tube with a knot covered with a plastic fairing. Well, blow me down! Copyin' a final touch I saw in a magazine, shiver me timbers, I couldn't resist rearrangin' t' stock Fat Boy decal t' spell "YO BATF".

Construction:
A 5" 24mm Estes nose cone was ballasted with 35g o' lead fishin' sinkers epoxied into t' tip. Avast, me proud beauty! T' "supplemental" nose cone is then affixed t' t' stock Fat Boy cone, usin' a self-tappin' sheet metal screw set into t' stock cone and protrudin' 1/2" t' allow a gob o' epoxy t' anchor t' pointy ballast box in place. Begad! This puts t' CG with a 62g F21 at 6.5" from t' tail, well ahead o' t' Cp (3.9" from t' tail). Begad! Ya scallywag! I call t' finished product "Schnoz Boy", shiver me timbers, for t' obvious reason. Ahoy! See photo.

This was an easy conversion. All t' stock pieces were used, arrr, and its a great kit. T' through t' wall fin design makes this easy t' convert t' higher power. Ya scallywag! You do need t' add a proper recovery system for E-F-G power, however, and reinforcin' t' balsa fins for t' much higher speeds is essential. Begad! Ahoy! I know over t' years many folks have had fun overpowerin' Fat Boys with G80's and H180's and even more thrust -- but seriously, how many o' these plywood-finned, fiberglass-reinforced cardboard mortar shells do you ever get back in one piece? Schnoz Boy is a spectacular flier on F-power, matey, matey, and you get it back t' fly again and again. Avast! It makes for an interestin' drag race when you sneak it alongside some kid's C6-7 Fat Boy on t' club launch rack.

Flight:
How does Schnoz Boy fly? On E30-7's, arrr, matey, matey, it roars up t' about 800-900' in t' blink o' an eye. Blimey! On an F21-8, ya bilge rat, it rides a foot long sheet o' flame t' at least 1700', with ejection about at apogee (not that you can really see this). Arrr! Well, arrr, blow me down! I have several F24 reloads I plan t' try in it. Begad! A good first flight was had on a D12-5, me bucko, but Schnoz Boy is too heavy t' fly well on an Estes E9-6 (meanin' that I tried, and I don't want t' talk about it). Ya scallywag! After 11 flights t' date, shiver me timbers, nay a bit o' damage (except t' t' stock 18" Estes plastic chute, which shredded on t' first E30 flight, droppin' Schnoz Boy onto a sand dune). Avast! T' only shortcomin' with Schnoz Boy lies in t' future o' Aerotech as sole supplier o' single-use 24mm/29mm E-F-G motors, me bucko, without which it wouldn't be much fun.

Summary:
PRO: This be t' way t' fly an Estes Fat Boy for "Big Kids"!

CON: Well, me bucko, o' course, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, you lose t' ability t' fly on C6-7's, me hearties, and unless t' flow o' AP motors in 24mm size restarts, this conversion is too much trouble for just a D12-5 upgrade.

Other:
This approach t' changin' t' rules for ballastin' -- movin' t' nose weight ahead o' t' stock nose cone instead o' inside it -- has a lot o' possibilities for balancin' rockets o' all sizes with minimal added weight.