Firstly, I'm starting this off with pointing out that the acronym looks like someone crying.
TLT

Anyway, I noticed something due a list in the squad builder forum.

The HWK with a TLT suffers more from the doughnut-hole than any other ship, due to only have a 2-die attack at that range.

However, there are Crew and Illicit upgrades which only activate at Range 1, and we can use these to our advantage!

Crew: Saboteur

Well, if you're insisting on running TLT on the HWK, this guy gives you a vector for "Damage" at R1, without spending your attacks to do so.

Moreover, by the time they've made it to R1 of you, you'll probably have damaged their ship with actual cards, so it's still ...semiviable?

Not the strongest option, but weird enough to check out.

Illicit: Cloaking Device

If you know you're going to eat an attack without being able to return fire, you might as well gain +3/4 evades per each incoming attack, vs the 1/2 evade of a single attack.

It will also give you the mobility to get the heck out of the way for the following attack, assuming you're good at not rolling Eyeballs.

Illicit: Deadman's Switch

Well, the enemy closes to R1 to kill you with impunity. Dm's Switch gives you the ability to dissuade them of that decision, by promising them massed damage upon doing so.

You get to keep your attack for other ships as well, so there's that

Illicit: Feedback Array

It gives you the ability to deal with a R1 enemy multiple turns in a row, but the self-damage is likely helping them more than it helps you, and the self-Ionization certainly does.

Illicit: Hot-Shot Blaster

A single-use attack at R1; a complete filling of the hole, though one quickly consumed. Still, occasionally worth considering.

Firstly, I'm starting this off with pointing out that the acronym looks like someone crying.

TLT

I like to think of it as my opponent crying.

One thing I also find interesting is that high PS HWK pilots are the only ones that can effectively have both TLT and an EPT, not a super big deal but I think it's nice for some of them. If you end up taking a higher PS one then I feel you need to run them with somebody that can cover their hole and punish, like corran or cobra. Think Palob or Kyle katarn could use this pretty well

Palob is a really nice home for the TLT. Opponents will often just not take focus around him which is a win. Ran him with K4 but I think your best bet with almost all TLT carriers is keep 'em skinny and run them with something else that will attract attention. Cobra Mustang is a good choice as cjnj pointed out.

HWK-290s work as a cheaper carrier of the TLT. The only thing is that the range 1 doughnut hole is a much bigger thing with the HWK-290 as it has a firepower of 1 where the Y-wing has a firepower of 2. I think you might just see Soontir running in your face at range 1 to say hello and not give a **** if he is in arc or not.

That being said, Deadmans switch might be the thing required to fill that hole.

HWKs can take recon specialist, which is both a big defensive and offensive buff. Despite doing nothing for the range 1 hole, I think it makes the list as a whole tougher and punchier, and you've got to weigh other crew against them.