I remember that as we got further into our early teens...we got more daring with the rockets.
We would build a two stage rocket...but use a single stage engine in the first stage instead of a booster engine.
The results were that the rocket would fire and reach it's apex and there would be a lapse of time before the last bit fired for the parachute. Except there was no chute and it would start the second stage as it was pointed downwards...
Always resulted in a rocket buried halfway up into the dirt....but it was fun.
And we didn't have to chase down a drifting parachute/rocket.