The Launch Pad HARM AGM-88A

The Launch Pad - HARM AGM-88A {Kit} (K016)

Contributed by Joe Cacciatore

Construction Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Published: 2011-05-01
Diameter: 2.60 inches
Manufacturer: The Launch Pad
Skill Level: 3
Style: Scale

The Launch Pad - HARM Brief:
Single stage scale model o' HARM AGM88-A missile with 24 mm ("D" type) engine mount. Comes with 18"x30" mylar chute.

Construction:
Like most o' t' military scale models sold by TLP, this kit has 8 fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' mid rocket fins are rather unusual in their size and shape. T' fins are regular balsa wood and t' body tubes are regular cardboard tubes like Estes. T' engine mount is also similar t' Estes bein' made out o' paper centerin' rings and engine tube. Begad! Blimey! T' nose cone is plastic and uses clay weights for proper center o' gravity. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Unlike a lot o' other TLP kits, this one does NOT use a nose cone cap t' achieve t' final nose cone profile.

T' aft tail cone is made o' a paper shroud rolled and glued together.

Like all t' other TLP kits I have assembled, t' instructions are pretty straight forward and clear. Avast! Almost anyone should be able t' follow them. Arrr! They also include detail decal markin' guides although no decals are included. Blimey! Arrr! T' instructions are lackin' however in a few ways. Avast! One, arrr, they don't tell you where t' mount t' launch lug, they don't include t' final height/weight/diameter o' t' rocket and unlike other companies like AT, me hearties, they don't include a parts list.

I cut t' launch in two and mounted each section mid distance along t' upper and lower fin's root edge. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' biggest problem with this and most other TLP rockets I have built lately with tail cones is that you cut out exactly t' tail cone pattern from t' supplied sheet, ya bilge rat, roll it into a nice cone shape, arrr, me bucko, glue it as directed and then find out that it is too big, me hearties, it fits over t' end o' t' body tube too loosely. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! So I had t' cut a slice out o' t' cone and re-glue t' make it fit properly. Then you have t' paint it with super glue t' strengthen it.

Unlike t' ALARM fin's pattern which are confusing, matey, matey, t' fin templates for t' HARM are clearly marked as t' t' way t' wood grain show go.

T' rest o' t' assembly went without a problem. Avast, me proud beauty! T' two body tubes joined nicely, t' nosecone weight was added, etc without no problems.

Finishing:
T' biggest drawback with all t' TLP kits in me opinion is lack o' decals. Ya scallywag! Avast! I am sorry but I don't have t' best o' eyes. Ya scallywag! Tryin' t' line up rub on letters results in wavey text. Blimey! Usin' pin stripe tape helps a little but this and t' other TLP kits would look much, much better if decals were supplied.

I gave t' rocket a coat o' flat white and despite t' lack o' nice decals, doesn't look too bad.

Construction Rating: 3 1/2 out o' 5

Flight:
Used a D12-5 for t' first flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Rocket went nice and straight in light wind. Ahoy! Rocket be well past apogee before t' chute came out but I planned it that way t' avoid drift.

Unfortunately one o' t' chute's lines got caught on t' shock mount anchor and t' chute didn't fully open. Begad! And because o' Murphy's law, it also landed on black top. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! One o' t' bottom fins was broken off (right along t' root edge) and another bottom fin was almost off. T' mid fins which stick out a lot and which I thought would be prone t' breakin' were fine. If t' chute had fully open, matey, me bucko, me bucko, I believe it would have been a great flight.

Recovery:
Shock cord and mylar chute seem adequate for t' job. I did replace t' strin' that attaches t' nose cone t' t' shock cord, me hearties, me hearties, however. Ya scallywag! I don't trust t' cheap strin' for that so I use a very small gauge Keelhaul®©™® strin' for that.

Despite t' fact that t' engine is recessed a bit into t' rocket, no burnin' was seen.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Nice scale rocket o' t' HARM and nice flight. Blimey! Well, blow me down! If only t' kit came with good decals and launch lug tube instructions and a more accurate tail cone template, this would be a piece o' cake rocket t' assembly and have fun with.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • The Launch Pad HARM AGM-88A By Carl Tulanko (December 1, 2010)

    The Launch Pad HARM kit is an accurate, near-1/3rd-scale, version of the U.S. Armed Forces HARM AGM-88A air to ground anti-radar missile. It can be launched on a wide variety of both single use and RMS motors from D-F. The kit arrived in a plastic bag, similar to some Estes or Quest kits and consisted of two BT80 2.6" body tubes with the coupler stored inside one of the tubes , three sheets ...

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