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Old 03-21-2011, 04:50 PM
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cas2047 cas2047 is offline
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Default What ever happened to the vendor -The Launch Pad

Does anyone know what ever happened to The Launch Pad: http://www.the-launch-pad.com/index.htm

It may be that they are still in business and doing fine, but I haven't heard anything about or from them in quite a while.

I remember back in 2009 they were going to start up a new facility in FLA, and there was news around the end of 2009 that indicated that the new facility was up and running and that the website would be updated in early 2010, but I never did get the sense that they ever really did ramp things up again...

All of the information on their website is very old and I've not heard anything about new designs. Anyone know if they are still around?
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Old 03-22-2011, 05:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cas2047
Does anyone know what ever happened to The Launch Pad: http://www.the-launch-pad.com/index.htm

It may be that they are still in business and doing fine, but I haven't heard anything about or from them in quite a while.

I remember back in 2009 they were going to start up a new facility in FLA, and there was news around the end of 2009 that indicated that the new facility was up and running and that the website would be updated in early 2010, but I never did get the sense that they ever really did ramp things up again...

All of the information on their website is very old and I've not heard anything about new designs. Anyone know if they are still around?


Years ago we carried their line. But they seem to fall into a pattern. Good supply of kits for a few months then nothing for months. I went through this with them twice. The kits are excellent builders kits and the pricing is decent.....................but.

If you have no supply to sell there not much good to anybody. We wont fool around with suppliers very long who suffer from dissapering acts on inventory. Last we heard they had moved to FL from VA. There were some resellers carrying their kits but again the supply seems to have dried up again. We dropped them around 2008.

Good kits very spotty supply.
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Old 03-22-2011, 07:18 AM
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cas2047 cas2047 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UMRS
Years ago we carried their line. But they seem to fall into a pattern. Good supply of kits for a few months then nothing for months. I went through this with them twice. The kits are excellent builders kits and the pricing is decent.....................but.

If you have no supply to sell there not much good to anybody. We wont fool around with suppliers very long who suffer from dissapering acts on inventory. Last we heard they had moved to FL from VA. There were some resellers carrying their kits but again the supply seems to have dried up again. We dropped them around 2008.

Good kits very spotty supply.


Thanks for that info. It is too bad because they had some interesting kits.
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Old 03-22-2011, 09:14 AM
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ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
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I for one think/thought their kits were a LOUSY value for the money.
First off, their header kits show completed models with decals that are NOT included.
Secondly they show and market them specifiacally as Mid-Power, but use materials and construction techniques that are no better than a typical 1975 Astron Alpha. That is NOT mid-power- no TTW fins, no heavier walled body tubes, and the fin stock is typically softer balsa than I find to be acceptable for even LPR builds. They don't even use heavy-walled MOTOR tubes !

For the price of the kits, I expect basswood or ply fins at a minimum if not TTW style.
I also expect transitions to be turned balsa, NOT cheap roll-yer-own paper adapters that are fine ona $12-$20 kit but NOTHING above that price point.

As a whole for being marketed as Mid-power, they are full of cheap materials that are a lousy value for the money. In order to get the kits into the shape of the header pics, you will spend a lot more than the kit price by the time you replace the sub-standard junk.

Compare a TLP supposed MPR kit to any Semroc SLS MPR kit (good value for $$) of similar size and one will understand why they are a lousy value for the money.
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Old 03-22-2011, 09:26 AM
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That may be, but we couldnt keep them in stock when they were available. It was not uncommmon to go through over $2k a month in there kits. Especially the Nike Ajax, Pershing and the 2 bull pups.
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Old 03-22-2011, 09:27 AM
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I have to agree with GH here. And I do a lot, btw!
I have built several of TLP kits because I like the scale aspect of them. They offer examples found nowhere else for the most part. For me it's relatively easy to improve things like the fin stock and the motor tubes and the parachutes. I do find it annoying to 'roll your own' pointy end for the blunt nose cone; I end up using an epoxy/balloons mix in it to give it some longevity. It would squish with the first landing, I imagine.
Proper decaling is also an issue, as said; this can be remedied with a call to Gordon, but adds significant cost.
Perhaps the answer is for someone to step in and update these kits with the appropriate mods to make them better-suited for MP use. However, this would add to their overall cost by a fair margin, I expect.

The kits, when executed properly, are stunning, though.

Allen
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Old 03-22-2011, 09:28 AM
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I dont disagree that they may have been over priced, but they were fantastic sellers.
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  #8  
Old 03-22-2011, 09:33 AM
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I will offer a different opinion from GHR becasue I don't automatically assume that a mid power (E, F or G) model has to be built like an HPR tank to fly.

You can fly the TLP models on D's, E's, and SOME F motors built stock per the directions.

I've built and flown 4 different TLP kits (Exocet, Pershing, small Pheonix, and Hellfire) and they all have been excellent models flown on D and E power. If you expect to fly them on F and G's becasue that's what MPR means to you, then you will have to do some modifications.

And lets face it, for some missiles they are the only game in town.

kj
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  #9  
Old 03-22-2011, 10:02 AM
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D's in ANY flavor are NOT mid-power unless clustered. Estes E9's are not either as they have less kick than a D12.
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  #10  
Old 03-22-2011, 11:44 AM
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Believe it or not I agree with Everyone on this.

Under one definition of mid power these aren't mid power kits. Under another definition of mid power some of them come close to qualifying, at least from a engine power perspective. For example the HARM AGM 88A kit is a single 24mm kit. It doesn't go all that high and is pretty lightweight and I wouldn't consider it a mid power kit. It is however one of the rockets in my collection that's flown more than most. It even spent a good deal of time floating in a lake, only to make a comeback with very little re-work. It still flies today and always impresses.

Then I have the AMRAAM AIM 120 which is a dual 24mm kit that is also lightweight, but gets up and goes. It's a high flier and performs very well. I'd consider it more toward a mid power kit from a power perspective, but more of a model rocket from a building component perspective.

There have always been some who like and some who hate the TLP kits, but for me I think the finished product is worth the cost and extra build/finishing effort needed. For example there are ways of strengthening the TLP rockets to make them fairly sturdy.

TLP provided a great selection of different types of missiles that made the TLP kits so interesting. And although they didn’t have decals you could always print your own using your ink jet printer and decal paper, and with some attention to detail, come up with a great looking rocket.
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