Jeff Findley wrote:

Didn't someone mention in these groups recently that the Soyuz launcher does
something very similar?



Yeah, me.
Soyuz has two shrouds associated with its upper stage; a aerodynamic
shroud that covers the spacecraft itself and incorporates the escape
tower and four flip-out grid fins for stability if the escape sequence
is fired, and a separate three piece shroud that sits under the LOX
tankage and around the upper stage engine, these lower shroud is
jettisoned to save weight once upper stage separation has occurred. They
are the section that's orange in this photo:
http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/img/soyuz-rocket-02.jpg
What makes this funny is that Ares I already looked freakishly like a
Soyuz core and upper stage, and now it's going to look even more like it.
Then they may hang strap-ons on its first stage, and then it's _really_
going to look like we've rebuilt a Semyorka with solid fuel technology. :-D

Pat