The Launch Pad ASRAAM

The Launch Pad - ASRAAM {Kit} (K003)

Contributed by Joe Cacciatore

Construction Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Published: 2011-06-01
Diameter: 2.60 inches
Manufacturer: The Launch Pad
Skill Level: 3
Style: Scale

AsraamBrief:
Dual "D" engine scale model of the UK/Germany Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missile (ASRAAM).

Construction:
This Launch Pad rocket is exactly like all the other TLP kits.
The Kit contains:

  • Plastic nose cone
  • Cardboard body tubes (2)
  • Balsa fins
  • Shock cord attachment & engine mounting the same as the older Estes rockets.
  • Parachute is purple mylar.

The quality of the parts is OK with the nosecone of better quality than I have seen in other kits.

Instructions are illustrated and are pretty basic and simple to follow. Assembly starts with the dual engine mount and then the body tube. This rocket has clean lines and is a very basic 4 finned and a nose cone rocket.

Templates are supplied for the fins and shock cord anchor. For some reason the TLP never includes any information on launch lugs so one has to figure out where to put them. I put mine between the fins and half way up the body.

Finishing:
Although no decals are included, there is alot of information on marking and painting the rocket.

Construction Rating: 3 out of 5

Flight:
I have flown mine 2 times. Once with D12-3 and once with D12-5. Both seem to work fine. Of course you have to use enough wadding to protect the chute. Looking at the rocket you may be concerned with how well it would fly with the small fins it has and it being a dual engine rocket with a lot of weight at the rear. But surprisingly it flew great both times. Nice, straight and ejection at the proper time.

AsraamRecovery:
Unfortuanately mine suffers from 2 problems. First, because the engines are recessed a bit, the inside of the body tube gets a little burnt! See picture. Secondly, with dual engines it is aft heavy when coming down. That compounded with a chute not fully open caused some minor damage to the bottom of the rocket. See picture.

If I were to build again, I would put a reinforcement ring inside the bottom of the rocket to strengthen and help protect it from the flames.

AsraamFlight Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary:
Pros:

  • Nice, clean lines
  • High quality nosecone
  • Easy to assemble
  • Dual engines
  • Stable flyer, more stable than my other TLP kits with larger fins, weighs only 6 ozs so you can get some good height on dual engines, you could probably also fly it on dual C11-3s.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • The Launch Pad ASRAAM By Larry Brand

    ASRAAM is a scale kit by The Launch Pad that models a prototype of a thrust-vectored air-to-air missile. As such, it sports a set of dinky fins that suggest not too much of a stability margin. In fact, ASRAAM is not only exceptionally stable in flight, but is an excellent, easy-building sport flyer, and a good choice for a first cluster model (it uses a pair of 24mm motors). Surprisingly, flight ...

Flights

Comments:

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L.B. (May 5, 2003)
I agree with everything Joe has said. TLP ASRAAM is a great kit for a non-beginner, and a fine flying cluster model. See my MODS review of a sport version elsewhere in this site. The one change that I would really recommend to a pure scale version is to move the motor mounts aft so its flush with the end of the body tube or nearly -- more thrust and more durable that way. I don't know what TLP is trying to accomplish by recessing the motor mounts so much -- of course it incinerates the tail of the rocket!! Of course the tail crushes when it lands!! Plus all the books tell you that the void "expansion" space created by recessing motors this much robs the model of thrust. I happily fly my modified version on D12-7's vs. the D12-3's recommended by the manufacturer. C'mon TLP, change this and make a good rocket a great rocket.
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C.J.B. (July 2, 2005)
As with any other of our kits with the recessed engine mounts, I have stated before that the rear end scorching will NOT take place if the launcher uses a blast DEFLECTOR, not a flat blast plate. These rockets, being larger and heavier than small model rockets, linger on the pad a bit longer before they build up momentum. The scorching is caused by exhaust being REFLECTED up onto the rear of the rocket instead of being shunted away. An angled deflector or a curved scoop will prevent this scorching. Our test models have been flown many times without this damage.

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