TLP, (The Launch Pad) Fans Thread

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TopRamen

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Just wanted to start a Thread for TLP Kits. In my opinion, they are awesome.
Seems as though they are not as popular in the Rocketry Community as they should be.
The Kits can be built as they come, or make fantastic subjects for Modding or "Kitbashing".
What's not to like about them? I'm working on my third right now, and just find them to be absolutely enjoyable!
I just wanted to start a Thread about them because I don't see a lot of folks building them, and it surprises me that there are not more Fans of this Brand.
They make a ton of Kits. Granted, they are all Scale or "Fantasy Scale", but their Selection alone should merit them more Acclaim and Attention then they seem to recieve.
So here's a Thread to talk about TLP Kits, espouse their Virtues, and even share Building Techniques, Pics', and just talk about them in general. :)

https://www.the-launch-pad.com/


Mods, if this belongs in a different Section feel free to move it as you see fit.
 
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I Love my TLPs! I have built even more since these photos and there are still some in the build pile. Old TLPs never die, they just get repaired and fly again.

rockets TLP Sunward 002.jpgrockets TLP Sunward 001.jpgrockets TLP Sunward 004.jpgrockets TLP Sunward 005.jpgrockets TLP Sunward 003.jpg

I Love witches hats!
I Love the recessed motor mounts!
I Love the drinking straw launch lugs!
I Love the surface mounted fins!
I Love the squishy balsa that is easy to paper!
I Love cleaning and fixing the soot and burn after every cluster flight!
I Love the funky shaped big Mylar parachutes!
I Love the lightweight materials and awesome 24 mm power!
I Love having to come up with fantasy paint schemes or using stripping tape and peel & stick lettering for scale jobs!
I love the aftermarket decals and vinyl!
I Love pinhead rivets!
I Love when they are on sale!
I Love the trifold mounts!
I Love the old style motor hooks that can loose their springiness!
I Love to kit bash or scratch build using their parts!
I Love to argue with the haters, and then have a full day of flawless TLP flights.


I don't Love the swamp mud nose weight and the parachute attachment method in the instructions is a bit weird.
 
I Love my TLPs! I have built even more since these photos and there are still some in the build pile. Old TLPs never die, they just get repaired and fly again.

View attachment 176230View attachment 176231View attachment 176232View attachment 176233View attachment 176234

I Love witches hats!
I Love the recessed motor mounts!
I Love the drinking straw launch lugs!
I Love the surface mounted fins!
I Love the squishy balsa that is easy to paper!
I Love cleaning and fixing the soot and burn after every cluster flight!
I Love the funky shaped big Mylar parachutes!
I Love the lightweight materials and awesome 24 mm power!
I Love having to come up with fantasy paint schemes or using stripping tape and peel & stick lettering for scale jobs!
I love the aftermarket decals and vinyl!
I Love pinhead rivets!
I Love when they are on sale!
I Love the trifold mounts!
I Love the old style motor hooks that can loose their springiness!
I Love to kit bash or scratch build using their parts!
I Love to argue with the haters, and then have a full day of flawless TLP flights.


I don't Love the swamp mud nose weight and the parachute attachment method in the instructions is a bit weird.

You totally get it! Nice Builds!
Folks like you are an Inspiration to Folks like me!
 
I suspect I'll have to learn the art of witch's hats down the road.

Just remember to keep the CA de-bonder near by. My friend was coating the hat with CA on his NC and glued two of his fingers together. Small panic (his, not mine [I was giggling]) ensued until I brought out the de-bonder.

Adrian
 
I credit TLP with bringing me back to the hobby. I have built many of the TLP line since about 1994. Their appeal was they were mid-power kits of large size representing actual missiles. I also built several of the plan-pack kits, with the SS-1C Scud-B being the most prolific--four built to date--two lost. Even made a Scud using commercial airframe tubing from the former Totally Tubular--more durable. The TLP kits I've flown most often are Sidewinder, Standard, Maverick, and Gekko.
 
I only have one. It screamed on an F44 last weekend! Mine lost its witches hat a while back and I didn't replace it. :eek:

14344538657_d0cf3982e4_z.jpg
 
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I've built a TLP Maverick awhile back, but I haven't painted or decorated it yet...

I like the kit, and I like the way it's built. Some folks don't and wouldn't. A lot of people read "MID-POWER" as "shove the biggest motor in that will fit" or want to modify it into a HIGH power kit and then are disappointed with the results. These use Estes-style paper tubes and in most cases an Estes Super Big Bertha nosecone modified as needed for the missile being portrayed, and balsa fins. The stability margin can be pretty tight and if the noseweight isn't right, or if you build the back end too heavy, or install a heavier, more powerful motor, or decide to fiberglass the tube and install plywood fins, it can end up either flying like a dog, a brick, or parting your hair before doing a shovel recovery... That's what a lot of folks gripe about on the TLP kits anyway...

If you build it like it was MEANT to be built, as a MID-POWER (D, E, F, maybe low G) powered rocket, using MODEL ROCKET motors (NOT HIGH POWER MOTORS) then they do really well. If you decide to turn it into something completely different it wasn't designed to be, well, you'd be better off in most cases just doing a scratch build... I've seen folks griping that they bought a TLP kit and griping about the soft balsa (which it is, to keep the rear end as light as possible and minimize the needed noseweight), thin wall paper tubes, model rocket motor mounts, etc... then griping that they had to buy all new parts to build the kit, like plywood fins, fiberglass tubes, heavier nosecones, plywood centering rings and bigger motor mounts, etc... to which I wonder to myself, "self, why didn't they just buy a friggin' high power kit in the first place??" Stupid IMHO...

I think it's those kinds of unrealistic expectations that do more to hurt TLP's following than any other reason.

One thing that DOESN'T thrill me about the TLP kits is the lack of decals. I wouldn't object to "print your owns" but it'd be nice if they at least put the proper font or "sample" decals with the correct fonts and styles of lettering and samples of the various decals images and a guide to their locations in the kit... but they don't. When it comes to decals, you're 100% on your own. Heck they don't even put in a decal recommendation sheet, just telling the locations of various markings and leave it to the rocketeer to figure out where to find the font or image and make his own decals... even that would be more helpful! That's about my only gripe with the kit...

It built really nice. I did paper the fins for additional strength, but kept the weight to a minimum. Otherwise it's just a matter of doing the research and figuring out how to do the markings to make it look complete. That is IMHO harder than the kit itself...

I'd definitely buy another TLP kit, but I wouldn't pay any MORE for it than they're already priced at... they priced pretty reasonable, but if they want to charge more it better have decals or at least a guide to the decals and markings and samples to "make your own"...

Later! OL JR :)
 
One thing that DOESN'T thrill me about the TLP kits is the lack of decals. I wouldn't object to "print your owns" but it'd be nice if they at least put the proper font or "sample" decals with the correct fonts and styles of lettering and samples of the various decals images and a guide to their locations in the kit... but they don't. When it comes to decals, you're 100% on your own. Heck they don't even put in a decal recommendation sheet, just telling the locations of various markings and leave it to the rocketeer to figure out where to find the font or image and make his own decals... even that would be more helpful! That's about my only gripe with the kit...
Agree 100%. I've built and flown the Bolo, which is marked as skill level 2, but more like skill level 1. I printed out decals for it, but they're pretty primitive. They look fine from the flightline, which is all that I can ask for. I have the Perseus built and ready for paint, but I'm having trouble finding a paint that works for me. Great build, though. I loved building the multi-part fins and was really happy with how they turned out. I just need a field big enough to fly it. I recently bought the Martel AS.37 and Dragonfly, but have only cut the fins for the Dragonfly. I'm hoping to find time to work on it again after the pool and party season.:wink:
 
I have several TLP kits. PAC-3, Phoenix (1.6"), Standard ARM, Exocet AM.39. Also Have several in the build pile. I've been able to get decals for the kits from both Excelsior and Sticker Shock.

FWIW, on my last witches hat, I partially filled it with expanding foam before attaching it to the plastic nose cone. So far, so good.
 
Does anyone offer aftermarket decals for TLP kits?

Other TLP kits I've built include Lance, Indigo, SA-7 Grail, SAAB 372, AIM-7F Sparrow, AMRAAM, AS. 39 Kormoran, Hawk-A (Cato'd), Pershing I (wrecked), Harpoon, ALARM, and plan packs Archer (Cato'd), Bullpup C (Crashed into snowbank on first flight.), SA-2 Guideline (upper stage only), and Nike Hercules (upper stage only).

Also the Nike Ajax kit with single engine mount instead of the triple. So flies instead on an E28-4 RMS, E30-4T, or Econojet E20-4 (someday).
 
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I'm doing the Indigo right now, and just got my first Fin "Doubleglued" on. I've been practicing Doubleglueing on some 13mm Kits as of late and really like this Method. I try to avoid playing with Epoxy when it's not necessary. These are the Balsa that came with the Kit. It was too nice not to use it. They're Papered with 110# Cardstock and glued on with Titebond II, so they will be plenty strong enough.
I'm lovin' this Kit!!!
Got my Paints for the Kit too today.:)
 
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Does anyone have Rocksim or Open Rocket files for the TLP kits? I did not find much information, and I like to play with the sims before I buy / build...
 
Does anyone have Rocksim or Open Rocket files for the TLP kits? I did not find much information, and I like to play with the sims before I buy / build...

They are hard to Sim because of the Nose Cones. I used Rocksims free Trial Version to do my ALARM Kit, because I modded it so much, and ended up just going with whatever the default similar NC-80 was.
 
I suspect I'll have to learn the art of witch's hats down the road.



The "Paper Hats" are intimidating when you make your first one, but after a doing a couple they are much easier and even fun. I find it to be one of the most rewarding Steps of the TLP builds.
A Tip to anyone who has a TLP Paper Hat in their Build Que is to simply make Copies of the Template, or scan them to your Computer so that if you mess one up, or want to have extras for Practice they can be easily reproduced forever. I like to scan the Template, then make/print my actual Paper Parts on 110# Cardstock. I do the same thing with the Fin Templates to make the Skins for Papering the Fins.



 
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I'm thinkin' the Seawolf looks like it's calling out to me to built it next.:D
 
I built a three TLP kits when I first started rocketry in 1998; the Bullpup 12C, the Alarm, and the 2.6" Phoenix. The Phoenix and the Alarm never survived past their third launch and the Bullpup has never flown. I am now renewing my interest in TLP; I have the Anubis, Hellfire and a new Alarm in my build pile. Just ordered seven more from Hobbylinc; Phoenix, Perseus, Dragonfly Matra Magic, Gabriel, Rapier and Martel.

Have Rocksim files for all but the Martel and Gabriel. When I start building, I will first check all the components against my existing Rocksim files for any weight or measurement differences. If anybody has a Rocksim file for the Martel or Gabriel,please post them.
 
I've only built two so far - the Rapier and the Perseus II. Both were a lot of fun to build and yes, the witches hats can be a pain, but as was mentioned earlier - make copies. I don't have any in the build pile as of now but plan on purchasing a couple more soon. Love these kits and my Cub Scouts are usually pretty blown away by their size - not to mention seeing them go up on an F or G.
 
Only have the Perseus II which I liked as a build, its large and impressive and flies very well. I think the reason they arent popular is people moan a lot about the quality and the lightweight build but I never found much to moan about with mine and found it a challenging but fun build and when completed she looks the bomb. Have a look in the LPR section and I have video of her launching.

The only minor issue was the platforms for the rear fins - I so wish TLP had inlcuded a template rather than a non-scale drawing - but then again it gave me something to do :)

I tended to overbuild mine and as a result she is a very heavy bird - thats not really a problem as I like to keep the height down a bit as my flying field has a lot of rocket eating trees.

Next up from TLP (assuming they dont have the TALOS out by then) will be either a Rapier or a Gabriel but thats some way off.

If anyone wants the artwork I used for my Perseus II hit me up in PM with your email addy and I will send it to you as a PDF.

Pics of my Perseus II attached......

TLP Perseus II (3).jpg

TLP Perseus II (2).jpg

TLP Perseus II (1).jpg
 
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