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rocketjet787

rocketjet787

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I was wondering what every bodies opinion was of TLP rockets. I have heard a lot of good things about them but was wondering, what was so good about them? What are the drawbacks too them? What every bodies favorite one is and why. Also I have heard that they are hard too build is that true?, and why?
 
I like the TLP kit I built, but these are builders kits. You don't get laser cut fins, you get paper templates and a sheet of balsa (I replaced with basswood). The tubes are not thick like LOC tubes, they are more like big Estes tubes. Often there is not an ogive nose cone, but a nose cone you need to put a "Witch's hat" on to make pointy. All of these things can either be pluses or minuses. If you fancy yourself a builder/modeler they are great, there is a lot of building for not much money in that bag. If you primarily want the build to be as short as possible so you can fly it, or you want to stuff the biggest motor you can find in everything they are probably not the kits for you.

I got my favorite first, the Krypton. This one is highly modified as I used it to learn some new techniques. They are also a really nice scale to function as a basis for making a scale or near scale model. They are big enough to allow for doing some small details, but not so big as to make detail jobs overwhelming.

My Krypton:

krypton_2.jpg
 
Oh boy... This thread has been done over and over again! :facepalm: But I'll play! :cool:

First off, TLP kits are missiles. Sport scale and some fantasy (made up ones). They are meant to be build light and stock to use MPR motors. The parts are basic and require a lot of building. If you can accept that and deal with this proven concept, all is well in the world! The problem is that there are a lot of folks unhappy because they expect a big rocket to use the biggest motor you can stuff in or modify it to fit! These are often beginners not yet ready to safely or practically take on the task. Not fully understanding how the stability of a rocket works nor the safety ramifications. It usually ends badly... hopefully nobody gets hurt.

Some people like to overbuild them like bricks and then have to use the absolute biggest motor to lift it. These folks often toss the majority of the stock parts out and replace them with needlessly heavy ones. Personally I think it is a terrible waste. If you have the skills to modify "everything", take the next step and just scratch build the bird. You get way more "cool" points and with the money you save, you can buy some motors to fly it!

Love'em or hate'em! Just don't get mad if you expect them to be something they are not. If you want a high power kit, these are not it!


Jerome :)
 
As my Builing Skills get better, I find myself using more of the original pieces in the Kit.
That said, I have no problem with People that want to just use the Nose Cone and Body Tubes like I did on my Gabriel, just so long as they also do like I did and READ EVERY SINGLE TLP THREAD HERE ON THE FORUM, so that they know what they'll have to do to get a Safe/Stable Rocket.
 
And here's a Tip. The very first thing I do with a TLP Kit is scan all of the Templates and Instructions to my Computer.
When I first started, I did'nt have a Printer, so it was get it right the first time, and no Practice Parts. I also managed to misplace the Instructions with the Fin Positioning Info on my Gabriel, but one of the Members here had them and was able to show me the Pic' of the Info.
I then Print the Paper Cone Parts on 110# Cardstock. If I screw one of the Paper Parts up, or I don't think it is good enough, I scrap it and print another. This also means that I can build the Kit again and again, or adapt Paper Parts to other Rockets.
 
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Defiantly a builders kits, nothing is done for you. I use all the stock parts I may do things to strengthen them, needed or not if I feel something may be a weak point I add a little here or there. Great kits IMO.


TA
 
If you scan the threads in mid-power and scale you'll find lots of TLP builds.


  1. Some people open the bag, throw everything away but the nose cone, and then build a rocket. Not what they bought, but they think all the pieces are too wimpy for real rocketeers.
  2. Some people build them carefully, meticulously stock out of the bag. And it flies well enough in APPROPRIATE conditions.
  3. Some people make mods and do their level best to make sure the rocket is still safe and stable. Because of the rounds modeled, some are marginally stable (but stable nonetheless) when built correctly.
  4. Some people make mods, or don't follow the instructions, and/or do nothing to ensure the rocket is still stable or has a decent T/W ratio and then bitch what a POS the kit was when the flight results in a mushroom cloud of paper and balsa.

There may be other variants. The point is they are builders kits. Mostly modeling a very interesting subject, but leaving it up to you to make it shine (aka no decals).

Also TLP has been selling since the mid 90's. Not many others can say that. So kudos to TLP. IMO.
Jeff

Oh: I am a number 3
 
We really ought have a sticky thread at the top of this forum. This gets asked at least once a quarter or semi-annually.
 
gdjsky01 said:
We really ought have a sticky thread at the top of this forum. This gets asked at least once a quarter or semi-annually.
Click to expand...

I'm in favor of a TLP Sticky. It could have Links included to all of the TLP Related Threads, so that Folks could make informed decisions when considering building a TLP Kit.
 
gdjsky01 said:
If you scan the threads in mid-power and scale you'll find lots of TLP builds.


  1. Some people open the bag, throw everything away but the nose cone, and then build a rocket. Not what they bought, but they think all the pieces are too wimpy for real rocketeers.
  2. Some people build them carefully, meticulously stock out of the bag. And it flies well enough in APPROPRIATE conditions.
  3. Some people make mods and do their level best to make sure the rocket is still safe and stable. Because of the rounds modeled, some are marginally stable (but stable nonetheless) when built correctly.
  4. Some people make mods, or don't follow the instructions, and/or do nothing to ensure the rocket is still stable or has a decent T/W ratio and then bitch what a POS the kit was when the flight results in a mushroom cloud of paper and balsa.

There may be other variants. The point is they are builders kits. Mostly modeling a very interesting subject, but leaving it up to you to make it shine (aka no decals).

Also TLP has been selling since the mid 90's. Not many others can say that. So kudos to TLP. IMO.
Jeff

Oh: I am a number 3
Click to expand...

I haven't seen a number 4 for awhile now, not like the good ole days. Those were very entertaining threads/reviews, kinda miss all the haters.
 
I second the motion for a sticky for some reason this question gets asked a lot.


TA
 
I just successfully flew my TAN-SAM for the first time tonight, but forgot my Memory Card for my Camera!
Anyway, It flies great!:)
 
Adjust the white balance for Tungsten (the incandescent light bulb). It will help get rid of that orange/yellow cast.
 
I've only built one so far which was the Folgore. Unlike most TLP kits, this one does not include a paper hat for the NC or a paper tail cone for the rear of the BT. However, it took a bit of time to build as this rocket has 6 fins and 12 fairing strips - 2 per fin all of which have to be cut out by hand using a paper template and a hobby knife as previously mentioned.

The NC and BT are high quality Estes type components and the centering rings are a fiber material similar to the rings used in AT kits.

As far as I could tell, the only low quality component in the kit was the mylar chute. Mine shredded on the first flight which resulted in a hard landing but surprisingly the only damage was an ever so slightly cracked fin.

I replaced the chute with a nylon one and have flown this rocket several times on Estes D12-5 motors with great results but the last flight was on an AT E18-4W reload which took me 3 crapperheads to get lit but what a thing of beauty that flight was. It roared off the pad with the really nice large white flame and smoke cloud straight as an arrow to 1,000+ feet.:D

It drifted quite a ways on recovery but I got it back with no problems. I'd love to see what an F24W would do but I think I would need a larger field for that.:wink:

In the future I would like to try the ASRAAM, Hellfire AGM and the Type 30.
 
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Daddyisabar said:
I haven't seen a number 4 for awhile now, not like the good ole days. Those were very entertaining threads/reviews, kinda miss all the haters.
Click to expand...

That's a good thing.

I felt kinda' "Hated" when I first got here, and did my first TLP Build Thread.
Now that I can mount a Camera on a Cluster TLP, and not feel obliged to do a Build Thread, or disclose the Weight of any given Model, I feel as if they give me much more Enjoyment.
When the Fins are many and large, a good Mindsim is in order.
Safety First!
 
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Thanks!
As you can see I've progressed into a full blown TLP Addiction. Next up, a Seawolf maybe....
 

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