Winter 2022 Builds

My 3-Stage rockets will be small, simple and basic with burn-thru staging. The engines won't be on top of each other, but they will be within a few inches. The tubes will be as small as possible, BT-50 on the 24mm engine and then BT-20's. I may try to get an engine clip on the BT-20 upper stages and cut a notch in the lower stages to go around it. I hate using wrapped around tape to try and hold the engine in on upper stages. I know the clip and the sleeve being exposed isn't good for a "scale" kit, but, then again, after the first full firing, those booster tubes are going to take some serious flame damage, so I'm not going to be too concerned about and "Authentic Scale Look" on these 3-Stage birds.

This is in response to the topic at hand. For some reason that feature isn't working for me. This device is getting old, maybe that's the issue.
Right now I have two builds in progress. One is a Citation Patriot with a 24mm engine mount and through-the-wall 3/32" plywood fins. The other is a Mega Mosquito. The C-Pat has the engine mount installed and the fins glued in, needs fillets, the Mega has the engine mount built and fins laminated. I just finished rough sanding the edges even.
The C-Pat also has about 4' of 200# Kevlar cord attached to the forward angine mount ring, and another 3' or so of 3/8" elastic cord. Needs a chute. I might make one for it, thinking around 14", possibly Mylar.
I will likely do likewise for the Mega recovery system.
I also have an Estes 3225 V2 in the "big kit" pile. Wondering if that will make a workable entry for NRC Sport Scale.
And a Super Mars Snooper too.
I recently grabbed a Baby Bertha kit from Hobby Lobby. I'd won $20 in a pre& Christmas work raffle, so I got myself 3 packs of engines and decided to spring for the extra 8 bucks.
For scratch builds, I have parts for another SkyLance, so I'll have one for just fun flying and the original for the parasite gliders that I never built last year. There will also be a D-powered version of said rocket, plus a BT-20 based mini engine version.
Plus a few other kits and scratch builds I might finish over the course of the season.
And I'll be under the gun for it, but I'd like to build enough rockets to cover the other NRC categories I haven't flown yet.
And at some point I'll want a backup for my Avenger. I'm having way too much fun with that rocket.
I hope to have made at least a small dent in the pile by the 22nd.
Rick

You all are working hard over the winter. Very impressive. You have me thinking about digging out the parts I purchased two years ago for a LOC Forte. It is a 3" diameter 34" body tube with four fins. Come to think about it, it sounds similar to my 3" school rocket so I may wait on it.

I used to use epoxy for mid power kits but lately I have gone to Tite Bond II because I know I am not going to launch them on a HP engine. Just wondering what other people use in their kits? For HP I do use epoxy.

I'm using epoxy on the C-Pat upgrade, Tirebond II on the Mega. No particular reason other than gut instinct. I plan to launch both on E engines eventually.
I don't use "5 minute" epoxies, though, and that's about all you can find in the hardware stores lately. I want some working time. The stuff I got from Hobby Lobby had a 30 minute "pot life", seems to be working out well so far.

Is there anyway to add electronic deployment in the upper stage? Something as backup in case staging fails?

I use 5 minute G5 West System epoxy for most joints on paper/plywood rockets, and 15 minute Bob Smith for joints where I need more time. On fiberglass rockets or critical joints I use West Systems 105/205 and sometimes 206 hardener. I used Rocketpoxy G5000 on a past project and found it to be fairly messy and I prefer to thicken West Systems epoxy when I need to increase the viscosity. I also have used JB Weld for attached Aero Pack motor retainers on older rockets.