We have a small selection of The Launch Pad kits. Because we have a limited number and aren't planning to stock them, we are periodically listing them as auction items on eBay.

Our auction of a "Type 30" kit is ending soon. Also, there's another vendor with a selection of "Buy It Now" Launch Pad kits.

http://www.rocketreviews.com/the-launch-pad-7375.html

-- Roger

Who said E9? I fly them on E15, E30, E28.

Also several of the kits come with clustered 24mm mounts. Guess with 2 D's in them they _are_ real mid powered rockets after all.

kj

Yeah, I agree with you Kj... they are LOW END "MPR" kits-- not the upper end of the spectrum that basically is kissing cousins to HPR.

IF one wants a HPR kit, BUY a HPR kit... Madcow and several other vendors offer some neat kits of some of the same subjects that TLP does... I'll agree with GH on the mushy balsa and no decals bit... I can understand that decals are a PITA (just ask Wes at Dr. Zooch) but they should be marketed as "NO DECALS" and maybe some pointers or printouts of the decal markings, sizing, and locations, printed on plain paper, that could be scanned in and printed on decal paper by the modeler himself, would be a TERRIFIC addition to the kit! For the volume of kits that they've had to sell, and the fact that MANY of them use the same "pointed" BB-80 nosecone, it seems like they could have had a mold made and a special run of pointed BB-80's made without having to resort to the paper cone glued on top.

They are what they are-- a builder's kit, to be sure... and for the price a pretty fair bargain-- by no means a terrific bargain (though with the additions I mentioned they certainly would be, and wouldn't HAVE to break the bank to do it (decal location/markings printouts included on plain paper in the kit). I don't have a problem with the lighter materials (other than the spongy balsa) but then I'm not into 'overbuilding' stuff or overpowering it... though some are...

I like them pretty well... OL JR

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Got to agree with Uncle Mike. The TLP kits were pretty unique in certain aspects. I built the Standard and went through God knows how many dress maker's pins to reproduce the rivets. I also built the SAM from plans - which was pretty interesting build with the cluster and pneumatic staging!

There was a rush when they were "back" but that seemed to diminsh once again. Their website home page has not been touched since 2008 and the product page since 2005. Even the "News" has not been updated since December 2009.

Sad really.

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Well I guess this is a passionate topic.... but before you get too upset, I am just conversing here ok? No yelling.

I 've only built 3 of them. I built them stock and they fly fine on the recommended BP and AP motors as well as some non-recommended AP motors (if you are careful with the CG). I gotta tell ya, I have FAR FAR FAR more pride in my TLP builds than any MPR or HPR 3/4FNC I have ever built. And as I said, I built them pretty much box stock. I've got 6 in the queue. I like em that much.

Semroc SLS? Excellent stuff from what I hear! But from what I have seen of it (IIRC) the really interesting rockets go for 2 to 3 times TLP price. So I mean why is it a surprise that they come more complete and with heavier (more expensive) materials? They COST more. (My order from Sirius Rocketry - great service by the way - was 3 TLP for $100). You will get roughly 1.5 to 2 interesting SLS rockets for that.

The reason Uncle Mike, who I keep shoveling money at BTW ( ) sold them out is some of us love a builders kit. There are subjects in the TLP line that no-one has tackled. And I like THOSE kits, not the Bullpups, Sidewinders, and AAMRAMs. Those are a dime-a-dozen rockets. My Matra Super 530 and Osiris MPM are things I am really proud of. And they look very little like anything else at a launch. The Matra's fins were not 'easy' and its all my craftsmanship (or lack thereof) that made them work.

So if you have em, and you hate them, and you want to give them away to make room for other ktis, please send them to me for a nice home. I'll be MORE than happy to take them off your hands cheap (real cheap cause like I said, I keep shoveling money at Uncle Mike!).


(hmmm.... two days later and no one has taken me up on my offer... drats. )

Cheers,
Jeff

I do NOT mind "builders" kits AT ALL, quite the contrary. What I do mind is kits that One, do not build as shown on the headercard with what is included in the bag (i.e. no decals is NEVER acceptable), and TWO when I have to replace many of the materials (minimum the crappy/spongy balsa and thin-walled motor tubes) just to have what I deem to be a decent build. Use of a lot of paper adapters instead of cones/adapters of proper shape in balsa or plastic is a CHEAP bush-league short cut as well. At BEST these should be advertised as model rockets capable of flying on low-end MPR motors. They do NOT meet my standard for material quality nor strength to be labeled mid-power by ANY sense of imagination. Low value for $$ when considering all the parts that MUST be replaced.

What do I consider Mid Power ? Capable of handling just about any motor below an H128.

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I had a push for a while to make more decals for TLP kits but because of the lack of availability I have lost my incentive so to speak.

It hardly seems worth the effort to make decals for kits that aren't being produced.

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Agreed bad business model, making things for other things that arent being produced.

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I'm glad you posted this, as it demonstrates exactly where the issue lies.

You have some standard that everyone else has to meet that is different from the commonly accepted standard. If you choose to fly a model designed for 24mm D-E-F motors on something else and have to modify the kit to do it, that's your deal, not the kit maker's. If you build to the instructions and fly on the reccomended motors, then the kits are fine.

kj

One thing we still don't know for sure is whether or not the company is still in business or not. It sounds like nobody is receiving any new kits from them so I'm guessing they may not be, but whether thats a permenant thing or a temporary thing is still unknown.

I sent an email to the owner today to ask if they are still in business and selling kits. I'll weigh in if I hear anything back...

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