Yet another use for old motor casings.

The new Estes kits are featuring the screw on motor retainers in lieu of the old style engine hooks. These have the advantage of better motor retention, but make it problematic in displaying models like the Starship Octavius, which have funky shaped fins that do not permit them to rest in a vertical orientation (I like to show my rockets with the pointy end up). The nifty Estes rocket display stand for standard motors is too wide to slide into the retainer opening, so if you use it, you have to remove the retainer, which will almost certainly guarantee that it will disappear into the Twilight Zone. You could use the mini-motor (13 mm) rocket display stand, but the fit is too loose and the rocket easily falls off the stand.

Enter the used motor casing...

What you do is slide the used casing into the engine mount, with the nozzle pointing towards the front of the rocket. Screw on the retainer, and then push the 13 mm display stand up into the motor casing - this will give a very snug fit and hold the rocket upright nicely.

Et Voila! Rockets like the Illusion can now stand tall on the shelf.

(Click to enlarge)