The Launch Pad

Does anyone know the best way to get in touch with the owners of The Launch Pad rocket company? I have tried e-mails, with no response, and the phone rings but no one answers.

John,

I think...I'm not really sure...that he has been in very poor health lately.

sandman

TLP (The Launch Pad) has, as Sandman noted, had their problems healthwise, both in business and personal. The owner has been ill for a couple years now, making TLP kits hard to find for the last two years. They did get a new shipment out last spring/summer, as Ross at Magnum restocked on many of their kits, however, that was the last we have heard from it. One can only assume he took another turn for the worse regarding health...we can only hope it turns around once again for him.

I really enjoy the TLP kits; they are a great concept filling a gap/void that has exsisted in Mid Power Rocketry. A true builders kit in the mid power range, requirng skill to cut fins, yet easy enough where anyone can do it. The features made them VERY affordable, with kits averaging $20 - $25, an excellent price for a mid power kit. They also brought mid power clusters to market, but most of all, and my favorite thing of all...

...the are ALL MILITARY MISSILES!!!!! I remember years ago scanning the web, looking for kits and coming across TLP...the full color display photo of all their rockets on the front page had me drooling and excited as could be...words could not describe it! Since then, I have purchased more of their kits and had a ball building them. I can only hope they return to producing what I would call "everyone's mid power rocket".

Carl

I do hope all is well. I did want to place a large (bulk) order for the website. I have a few Launch Pad Models and concur that they really fill the void between LPR and HPR. I really like to build, not assemble.
Thanks

I love TLP kits as well. Last year, just before Valueland changed hands, they had a 50% off sale and I picked up 4 TLP kits. I've noticed over the last few months that after that one production run last summer, nothing more was coming from TLP. So I decided to get the last few I've wanted including the hercules plans, the ajax kit and the seawolf kit (and a couple Estes Orbital Transports for good measure). I've met Chuck Barndt a few times in the middle-later 90s at launches and he was a good guy with a very detail-oriented product. I've been into model rocketetry for a long time and read all the books and built many kits but his stuff still had something new and you can tell he spent a LONG LONG time testing everything (just check out one of his plan-paks some time). I wish him the best of luck and just in case, I'm still looking for a few of his designs that I'd like to build someday just in case they continue to go unproduced...

Oh, one thing.... in the Hercules plans, there's a line on the last page I have saying to reference a cluster multi-stage direction sheet on flight prep but its not included... I've read enough about the design that I'm fairly confident that I know what to do but Chuck's clever designs have simplified things for me before... so anyone have that page(s) which probably exists in the guideline and standard arm planpaks as well that they could email a scan of????

Dan Beninati from valueland has been trying to get in touch with Chuck for some time now and he is interested in helping TLP if necessary or, even buying TLP if Chuck is interested

heres part of a recient e-mail Dan sent me:


<snip>

Chuck did have an accident last year when a horse fell on him and
crushed him pretty badly. He was in recovery for a few months and then he
shipped a couple orders to us. Then, we lost communication with him
completely and we still haven't been able to get in touch.

We all hope he's OK but we may be loosing Launch Pad Products unless
Chuck will sell his company to us.

Best Regards,

Dan Beninati, Jr.
Operations and Customer Service

Are there any updates on the status of The Launch Pad. I am in need of some parts for a kit, and have been unable to reach them.

Knuck

Originally posted by Knucklehead
Are there any updates on the status of The Launch Pad. I am in need of some parts for a kit, and have been unable to reach them.

Knuck

Click to expand...

Stymye had the last good update and that was a while ago. I noticed in the months updated Essence Review section there is an opinion left about the company. In it, you geta sense that they are still shipping product. Here is a short-cut to the article.https://www.rocketreviews.com/cgi-bin/rvwbuild/venbuild.cgi?ven032

I didnt know there was something wrong with TLP. The hobby shop across the street from my house has oodles of kits form them...I better buy some!

Hey Ryan,

Where exactly is that hobby shop?
I would like to go check out what they have!
There's not much at the Hobby Emporium in Tyngsboro.

Nevermind!
I found the info in your other post!

I hope that Chuck recovers from his accident, because honestly, this is the best roc company that I have ever come in contact with. It would be a shame if I couldn't get more kits. Besides, I already bought the upper airframe for the Standard RIM-67-A plan pack, but I havent recieved the pack yet, even though I ordered it three months ago. Best wishes to Chuck and the company.

Im just checking if anybody has any update's on THE LAUNCH PAD range.does anyone know if these models are available at this time???

Originally posted by arthur dent
Im just checking if anybody has any update's on THE LAUNCH PAD range.does anyone know if these models are available at this time???

Click to expand...

So far, all I've heard is that the owner has had a medical condition of some sort. I have heard rumors that they are shipping limited quantities somewhere. The web-site has not been updated for a while and I have sent a couple of e-mails through them and have not had a response.

Thanks for that,i hope they become available at some point in the furure

John,
If you go and e-mail Rockets and Things I've got a little feeling he might have the odd on left. I'm pretty certain I saw a couple sat in a box when he was vending at a SERFS meet a few months ago.

Good luck

Originally posted by Mike
John,
If you go and e-mail Rockets and Things I've got a little feeling he might have the odd on left. I'm pretty certain I saw a couple sat in a box when he was vending at a SERFS meet a few months ago.

Good luck

Click to expand...

Thanks

I was acctually aiming that at Arthur who's real name is John, since he lives in the UK, but I'm sure Rockets and Things will ship abroad too.

Cheers mike..i'll try rocket and things
thanks again.

There are a number of launch pad rockets on EBAY right now:

https://search.ebay.com/search/sear...3&lotr=1&from=R2&sacategory=2567&BasicSearch=

I hope this helps!!

If their website is up-to-date it looks like Commonwealth Displays has a few Launch Pad kits still available for sale.

I have just placed an email to The Launch Pad, in hopes to find out more about Chuck's condition, and future. I happened across this thread, and had no idea that TLP was nearly gone from exsistance save for the web site, which has not been updated for over a year now.

I will dig through my vast rocket photos this evening, and get out a pic of Chuck that I took at NSL99 of him standing next to and with David Butchers massive Bull-pup. I will scan it in, and post it here later tonite. I have been meaning to send this photo to Chuck for sometime now. In my email to him today, I stated I would, if he would just email me back and let me know if he was ok.

Johnnie Paul

I only have 2 products of the TLP, the one I am most proud of, is the Nike Hercules Plan Pak...built that one I did...

Thanks J.P. for sending the e-mail. I hope all is well. Has anyone placed any orders directly to them and gotten a reply of any sort?
JR

I took this pic at NSL99, in which The Launch Pad was was on venders row supporting the launch as a vender. I thought it fitting as he has a Mid-power kit just like this behemith...

The gent on the right is David Butcher, of Georgia.

Johnnie Paul

I can find some of the old kits from The Launch Pad on various stores and auctions online, but does anyone know where I can find the Plan Packs? I'm specifically looking for the Standard RIM-67A pack, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Any ideas?

WW

I just bought the Rim-67A plan pak from All Hobbies last week.they appear to have most of the kits and plan paks


the plan paks are at the lower part of this page
https://secure.consumersinterest.com/allhobbies/default.asp?groupid=1230150555142


The Rim-67A is definately a level 5 !
the documentation alone is 40 pages ..
the Rim is a two stage ....3x 24mm- to 1x24mm
and includes plans for the self contained second stage ignition source built in (pretty cool!)

I plan to use a perfectflite mini timer regardless

I got the upper stage standard missile on ebay for $28

THANK YOU!!!

I've been looking all over the Net for those plans for the past 2 weeks!

WW