TLP kits are my favorite to build and review. This kit, however, offers little by means of challenge. There simply aren't as many details as other kits which is what makes TLP kits special. There are paper sections which are added to the fins which do offer some level of added detail. They are very easy to apply. This kit is probably great for those with limited modeling experience who want to give a Launch Pad kit a try. Other than cutting your own fins, there is no real challenge to be found for experienced modelers. The rocket is BT-60 based and isn't very tall. It is the smallest TLP kit I've built so far. Don't misunderstand this to be a bad thing. Having something cool looking to fly on D and E motors is a good thing. The decals shown in the picture do not come with this flying model rocket kit.

Parts List

As is the case with all The Launch Pad kits, it came in a large plastic bag with a nice looking face-card.

- plastic nose cone
- BT60 body tube
- fin stock
- launch lug & elastic shock cord
- parachute assembly
- instruction sheets with fin pattern

To put together the model rocket, you'll need wood glue, a hobby knife and sandpaper.

Construction

As I was planning to add a good deal of nose weight anyway, I figured it might as well be useful. An eyebolt was added to the nose cone to use for shock cord attachment. This should be far sturdier than the nose cone's eyelet. The added nose weight was to allow possible flights on F12 or F24 Aerotech RMS reloads.

A number of additional modifications were made while building this model rocket kit. There were mostly a matter of personal preference.

To avoid having to deal with ejection wadding, a baffle kit was added. A Kevlar shock cord was attached to the baffle. A length of nylon shock cord was attached to the Kevlar.

The fin stock was replaced with 1/16" plywood. Finally, an aluminum motor retainer was added to help avoid losing a reload casing.

Measurements

The BT-60 based version of the TLP Phoenix AIM-54C measures 16 3/4" long with a 1.6" airframe diameter.

Finishing

After two coats of gray primer, the entire model rocket was painted semi-gloss white. Next, an orange ring was painted around the top of the Phoenix' airframe.

For the finishing touches, decals were added. The decals are ones that I found on the JimZ website, for an out-of-production Estes Phoenix kit.

The decals were printed on Avery clear label paper, cut out and put into place. Not all decals were used. A clear coat was added to seal the decals.

Flight Data

The facecard only lists the Estes D12 rocket engines, with 5 and 7 second delays. I fully intend to fly this rocket on Aerotech RMS 24mm reloads.

It performed as expected on a D15, excellent flight. Jumped off the pad, deployed a touch early. A short walk is all it look to recover it.