On Tuesday of this week, we sent out our 597th issue of the Peak-of-Flight Newsletter. This issue covered the topic of display stands for your rockets. If you're like me and have a lot of rockets that you want others to see, then a good display stand is essential. But what criteria do I use to determine what is meant by "good?"

Actually, I have ten different standards that I use for defining what is essential. As always, it is a little bit of a trade-off as you can't have everything you want. But knowing what exactly are the compromises that you have to weigh can make selecting the best display stand a lot easier.

Tim's Messy Desk Blog

We also posted a question-and-answer session about the early days of Apogee, and what makes it the preferred company for so many rocketeers. You'll find this either in the pdf version of the newsletter, or on our blog that is on our website.

Weird Rocksim Question - Inflatable rockets

A strange question came up that we covered in the Wednesday edition of our weekly RockSim newsletter. It was how to simulate a mylar ballon rocket. More specifically, would it be possible to inflate the balloon rocket with either helium or hydrogen gas that creates an upward buoyancy. The answer is that it is possible! If you're not already a subscriber to that newsletter, and you'd like a once-a-week tip about how to use the software to design cool rockets that you thought of yourself, please let us know. We'll be happy to add your name to that email list.

Also this past week, we released our 1/15th scale model of the Black Brant VC. This is based on a 29mm diameter body tube, and uses standard 18m diameter motors for some very impressive flights.

This is a faithful reproduction of the full-scale version, complete with all the intricate details that make it such an iconic symbol of the space age. At 23.5 inches tall, this rocket is sure to turn heads when it takes off into the sky. Of course, it has Apogee's premium quality, so you're assured of a great building and flying experience.

On a side note, this is our fifth new rocket kit for 2023. We're actually a little bit ahead of schedule towards meeting our goal of 12 exciting new rockets for the year.

April Tool of the Month: Rocketeer's Needle File Set

We have a great Tool-of-The-Month offer for April. It is an electroplated diamond coated needle file set, an indispensible tool for any model rocket enthusiast. This set includes three essential metal shapes: round, flat, and triangular.

The round file is perfect for creating smooth curves and shaping concave surfaces, while the flat file is ideal for straight edges and flat surfaces. Finally, the triangular file is excellent for creating sharp edges in corners and fine detail work.

For model rocket enthusiasts, these files are essential for shaping and refining various components of the rocket, such as the fins, nose cone, and the inside of a launch lug. The precision of these files makes them ideal for creating smooth aerodynamic shapes and surfaces, which can greatly improve the performance of the rocket. You'll use them as much, or even more than you do a hobby knife; that's how indespencible these are, and why they are such a great deal.

To get this set of three files for free (a $6.25 value), just purchase $60 worth of Apogee's merchandise. This offer is only available until April 30, 2023, so don't miss your chance to get this valuable tool for your toolbox. Act now, as this offer will not be repeated!

What to Look Forward to Next Week?

In our 381st how-to construction video that will be released next Tuesday, you'll see a alternate method of applying paper skins to balsa fins. Over 14 years ago, in the 16th episode of our Advanced Construction Video series, I showed how to use wood glue to put on skins. In this new video, I use water-thin superglue to apply the skins. While this requires a different technique, the advantage is that it doesn't contain water, so the balsa wood doesn't warp. And it also can be used to fix flaws in the fins. In my case, I sanded the trailing edge of the airfoil too thin, and actually deformed the fin. But this technique fixed that issue and made the fin ultra stiff.

I'll see you in your email in-box next Tuesday.