Brief:
Estes Exoskell modified for 24mm motor power.

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

I started buildin' t' kit "stock." Although thar were a few tricky bits, 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, in order t' produce a model that looked like t' one on t' box. Avast! I experimented with addin' a bit o' Future floor polish t' t' black paint, me hearties, with mixed results. Begad! 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. I noticed t' problem almost immediately, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but t' "fin can" and one o' t' fins was badly warped. Ahoy! Ahoy! 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. Aye aye! T' recommended C5-3 motor sort o' "lobbed" it into t' sky. Aye aye! It did nay fly very high and tended t' eject on t' way down. Avast! Aye aye! Bleah! What this model needed was D power!

I found, matey, in me spare parts box, a plastic BT-55 t' BT-50 transition section and a 6" piece o' BT-55 tubing. 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. I decided t' modify t' mount t' allow use o' t' new E9-4 motor. Arrr! I did this by snippin' off t' front tab off o' t' metal engine hook, ya bilge rat, and placin' a thrust rin' 3.5" into t' mount tube. (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, shiver me timbers, and attached this "power pod" t' t' Exoskell's lower body tube usin' t' transition section.

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

Construction:
Replacement materials: 

• Plastic transition, shiver me timbers, 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. Avast! I called it t' "Exoskell Extreme."

Finishing:
T' "stock" Exoskell doesn't require any real finishing. Avast, me proud beauty! As mentioned above, shiver me timbers, arrr, I did take t' time t' give t' original plastic parts a black wash. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. T' original fins had ribs and ripples that suggested a biological origin. Ahoy! Blimey! I did me best t' duplicate this by creatin' a network o' "veins" that ran over t' surface o' me new parts. Begad! I used a mixture o' yellow glue and "microballoons" t' create a thin putty. Begad! Blimey! 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. Blimey! Begad! I was less successful with me paint job. Avast, me proud beauty! I could nay find spray paint t' match t' light-gloss-olive-green color o' t' body wrap, me bucko, arrr, or even t' candy-green color o' t' plastic parts. Begad! Well, blow me down! I might have resorted t' usin' brush-on enamels, but a launch day was approaching. Avast! As you can see in t' picture, shiver me timbers, thar's a definite color mismatch betwixt me parts and t' originals!

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

T' main body's parachute only partially deployed. Blimey! Arrr! Fortunately, ya bilge rat, everythin' held together just fine and thar was no damage. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' alien recovery pod drifted down on its fairly-large chute for a soft, spring-loaded landing. Ahoy! 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, me hearties, this time gettin' a perfect recovery. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Then I went for broke and popped in an E9-4 motor. Begad! Blimey! 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, me hearties, me hearties, I think it would be fine t' stick with t' D12-3.

Summary:
Despite t' rushed paint job, me hearties, I was really happy with me efforts on t' Exoskell Extreme. Aye aye! Blimey! It got great comments on t' flight check-in line, ya bilge rat, and flew perfectly. Ahoy! I've moved since buildin' and flyin' me "Exoskell Extreme". Avast! Well, blow me down! I gave t' model away t' a former coworker whose two sons were just startin' t' get into rocketry. Begad! Ya scallywag! I'm sure they'll enjoy it . Blimey! . Begad! . Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! 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, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! I intend t' build another Exoskell Extreme, me bucko, me bucko, this time addin' putty "veins" t' t' entire body tube surface and paintin' everythin' a uniform color.

Hmmmm. I wonder if thar's room for a strobe light in t' alien's recovery pod . . Ya scallywag! .