Brian Hardwick
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Hello Peter and Andy, Well, finally, I finished the build! It only took me two years! As well as the image below, I have created a photo album of the same name that you can have a look at. I have to say that I am truly delighted with the result of my labours - it looks even better "in the flesh" than it did in the photos in the original article all those years ago! I would like to thank first Peter for designing such a beautiful aeroplane (if ever a plane could be described as "sexy" this is it) and both Peter and Andy for all of the invaluable support offered during the build. Seriously, Andy, if it hadn't been for your regular words of encouragement I'm not sure that I'd have got to the end, so thanks again. As I have put so many man-hours into the build, I'm sorry to say that for a year or so at least, she's going to remain strictly ornamental. Maybe next season, I'll join a local club or something and get an experienced flyer to take her up for me. Out of interest, whereabouts are you located Andy? If it's close enough to Manchester, maybe I'll come and watch you fly yours first! Anyway, thanks again to both of you. Best wishes, Brian
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Thanks for the tips Peter, I'll have a go!
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Hello Peter, All ready to start covering - one final question. I'm attempting to duplicate your colour scheme because I really like it. You say in the article that the white and red colours were both from Solarfilm, while the yellow and black is from Solartrim. My inclination would have been to cover the whole model in white Solarfilm first, then to do all of the other colours, including the red out of Solartrim stuck on top of the Solarfilm, so that I can create nice straight lines. If I try to do, say, the fuselage half in white and half in red Solarfilm then I'm not sure how to get that lovely straight line along the interface between the two (even if I do the whole fuselage white then try to apply a red layer of Solarfilm over the top of it, it'll be still hard to get the straight line won't it - anyway, I'm not sure that two layers of Solarfilm work do they?). Any help you can offer will be much appreciated. Thanks, Brian
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Hey Andy - in case you thought that I'd given up again, this is just to let you know that I'm almost there and all that remains now is the covering and finishing. It took me a while to perfect the technique for moulding the canopy out of a lemonade bottle (well, ten bottles or so, so 20 litres of pop went down the drain) but managed it in the end and it looks great. Also, for any others interested, Sigma Signwriting that Peter used for the decals isn't in business any more, but Lee at Pyramid Models did a great job of these for me instead. I'll post some photos as soon as I'm done! Cheers, Brian
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Hello Andy, It's coming along very nicely thanks (though very slowly too - bet you thought I'd given up!). Since we had such a good summer last year I put the project on ice during the good weather months. I decided that, during the summer, I would concentrate on finally teaching myself to fly properly, using my E-Flite Apprentice electric powered trainer, so that I wouldn't have to always rely on my son for that!. I'm pleased to report that, with much practice, I succeeded and can now fly the thing reasonably well without mishap. I'm giving myself the target of achieving the same success with my IC-powered Sky-40 trainer (excellent Tony Nijhuis kit that I built a few years ago) this summer! Coming back to Bootlace, I've now completed the main fuselage and wing and am just about to make a start on the upper fuselage, so there's light at the end of the tunnel! I'm determined to finish it before this summer and I'll post some pictures in a few month's time when the job's done. It's taken such a lot of effort, though, that I'll definitely be admiring her on the ground for a good while before I let even my son take to the air with her! Brian
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Yes, that's cleared up the mystery very well - thanks again, as always, guys!
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Hello again Andy and Peter, Well, it's taking some time (due to distractions such as frequent short notice trips abroad for work and having the keep the "boss" happy by decorating the hall stairs and landing over Easter - aaaaargh! horrible job!) but, desite all these, I'm much further on in the build now and find I need your advice again. I've built the main fuselage assembly and also the wing - I've just glued the two halves together and added R1c. The location of the aileron servos is not really dealt with on the plan or in the text, but I'm asssuming that each servo slides into the gap between R1c and R2 on each wing and needs some kind of plate adding into which to screw the mounting screws? The text instructs one pretty soon now to add the central sheeting (top and bottom, I assume). But, of course, once this is done the servo bay gets covered up - so, I assume that I need to install the servos now and leave the bottom central sheeting until the very end, just before covering and after I have correctly adjusted adjusted the servo arm positions and throws to ensure that I get the right amount of ailoron movement when I swing from one extreme to the other using the transmitter? If I'm correct about this, doesn't that also mean that, once the model is finished, I'll not be able to make any future adjustments of the servo arms and throws without removing the sheet to break into the servo bay once again? Thanks, as always, to both of you for your encouragement and support. Brian
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Thanks for the photos Andy and to both you and Peter for your continuing support! I'm not a big fan of self-tapping screws and I've managed to find a solution that has worked very well indeed - but if anyone else cares to try and follow the same route then you do so at your own risk (see below)!. What I did was to create some captive nuts by the following procedure: with clearance holes already drilled and the engine mount held upside down, I inserted a long (50 mm at least) M3 caphead bolt from underneath then screwed a nut onto its end. Using a flat file as a support, I then lifted the head of the bolt with the end of the file until its head came up against the mount (and the nut was held high up and well away from the mount. I then used a blow-lamp to heat the nut until it glowed red, then removed the heat and gently lowered the bolt until the nut contacted the mount. Removing the file, the bolt was now hanging from the nut which, being hot, gently melted its way down into the under-side surface of the mount. I gave it some assistance by using a pair of pliers to pull the bolt down by its head until the nut was flush with the surface of the mount. The melted plastic effectively glues the nut in place - and hey presto, one captive nut! You have to be darned careful, though, where you're pointing the blow-lamp so as not to set light to the model or anything else in the workshop! Having done all four that way, I had to use a tap in the case of one of the nuts to clear a little bit of melted plastic that had got into the thread of the nut. Thanks for the photos Andy - looks like it must have been quite a wriggle to get the engine out so that you could sand the balsa cowl to shape when you were building her!
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Hello Peter, After being prodded into action by Andy in January (and as a positive spin-off from being very quiet at work at the moment) I've been making good progress and have now nearly finished the fuselage. Thoroughly enjoying the build! However, I've now arrived at the stage where the cowl needs to be built around the engine which I'd guessed would be quite interesting, shall we say! I can see that, if I'm not very careful, I'll end up locking the engine inside the cowl for ever. I'm guessing that you must have created a sufficiently large cut-out on the starboard side to enable the engine to lift in and out that way. I was planning to use M3 caphead bolts and nylock nuts to fasten the engine to the mount. I should be able to arrange it so that I can get a hex key into the bolt-heads - but won't be able to get at the nuts without drilling four access holes on the other side which will look a mess. I don't see these in the photos, so how did you do it? Any tips welcome! Cheers, Brian
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Thanks Peter! I'm sure I'll be back again for more advice over the coming weeks!
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Hello Peter, I have now prepared a kit of parts for the fuselage and am about to start assembly. However, before doing so, I just wanted to ask you whether there ought to be a hole drilled somewhere in F2 for the throttle snake. I see the one in the top of F3, but the plan doesn't show any provision for the snake through F2. The big hole up the middle of F2 is for the fuel tank so it can't go that way! Just thought I'd better check with you before starting to glue everything together. Thanks, Brian
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Thanks for the advice, Peter, I'll buy the scroll saw this weekend!
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Hello Andy, Thanks for your interest. It has been slow progress so far, mainly because I've been distracted by other priorities. I've got most of the materials from the model shop and this very weekend (just before your post) made a start on cutting out a kit of parts. Cut out the fuselage sides and am now wondering whether I'd be better to invest in a scroll saw to do the formers or whether to manage with a hacksaw and stanley knife. I suppose it depends on whether I'm likely to do much more building off plan. As long as I don't get too busy at work again, my plan is to try and have it done by the long summer days. We'll see! Brian
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Thanks Peter and everyone - advice and suggestions noted!
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Hello again Peter, In preparation for the build of Bootlace, I thought that I'd better first check out the availability of some of the less commonplace items that you've specified - such as the carbon fibre undercarriage and the wheel spats. This led to the conclusion that it was, perhaps, not such a good idea to have waited 8 years before starting! For the benefit of any others who might be considering doing the same in the future, Nexus Modelling Supplies report that the ATS 232 is obsolete and I can get no response from the advertised number for ATS Mayneline. Micro Mold appear to have stopped trading and the advertised number for David Stapleton Engineering (who may have taken on their business) is not recognised! However, on the plus side, I have discovered Carbon Copy (www.carboncopyuk.com). They can supply alternatives that appear to be a good match to your original specification. For example, having measured up the originals from the Bootlace plan, their carbon composie undercarriage legs CCU11 appear to be pretty much the correct size and their S3 wheel spat set also looks as if it would fit the bill. However, I thought that I'd await your comment before shelling out the cash! Finally, one thing that has puzzled me - in the text of the article you use the words "tail wheel" and in the big photo at the start of the article in the Jan 2004 edition of RCME there, indeed, is a tailwheel. However, on the plan I find a 16SWG wire skid in place of the tail wheel! Just curious as to why this is so, and if you think that the wire skid is a better option than an actual wheel? Brian
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Thanks for that, Peter and Andy. Yes, I'll be sure to ask if I have any questions and will let you know how I get on! Thanks again.
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Hello Peter, I see that the last post on this is almost a year ago, so hope you manage to see this. Back in 2003/2004, having renewed my interest in the hobby after a very long break (marriage, kids etc) I spotted your plan for Bootlace in Jan 2004 edition of RCME and immediately fell in love with it. Having never built a model direct from plan before I thought that, before attepting it, I'd better renew my kit-building skills first (built a lot of planes from kits in my younger years) and also learn to fly again. So, during the years between 2004 (hell, is it really that long ago) and the present day, I've successfully built two Tony Nijhuis Sky-40s from kits of parts. These fly a treat - courtesy of my son who shares my enthusiasm in the hobby but more for the flying than for the building. In parallel, I have bought a couple of ARTF electric foamies (Apprentice and Radian) using which I am teaching myself to fly again (slow process)! So, the time has finally come to make a start on Bootlace - the model that kick-started all this off again. I have one question before I start - is the plan from the 2004 magazine accurate? Reason for asking is that I have a vague memory from reading somewhere that it may not be. But then that could just be my memory failing! Thanks in advance for your answer, Peter.
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The October Grand Prize Draw
Brian Hardwick replied to David Ashby - Moderator's topic in All Things Model Flying
Yes please! -
The September Grand Prize Draw
Brian Hardwick replied to Roger Auker's topic in All Things Model Flying
Yes please!
