The Aeromodeller returns!

[Peter Miller]

THis is another try at putting the link in to the survey.

As I said it is completely independant

Survey again

Could someone try the link. I think it recognises my computer and keeps thanking meo for completing the survey.

 

Edited By Peter Miller on 18/05/2012 09:16:04

[Peter Miller]

THis is the apeal put out by David Lloyd Jones. As he says, he is not into forums and not sure about posting links etc.

You will have, by now, received information about the possible demise of the "Aeromodeller" magazine.

The "Aeromodeller" started in 1935, and a little hiccup occurred in the publishing of it in 2001 of a few months, when it was bought by Tony Dowdeswell, and it then continued until the present day as an insert in the "Aviation Modeller International" magazine until today.

Whatever your personal thoughts are about the quality of this "insert", would it not be a shame to lose this evocative title?

"Aeromodeller" is the SECOND longest published aeromodelling title in the whole world after the American "Model Airplane News" - did you know that?

More to the point - do we want to lose that accolade in the UK?

Even if you have no immediate interest in freeflight, control line, or indoor model flying per se, to have a magazine that does NOT cover Radio Control models, would be refreshing!

The link below is a survey that is independent of the publishing company, and could be the tool that might be the deciding factor about the continuance of this title for the foreseeable future.

Please make the effort to complete the survey (it will only take about 5 minutes!) - even if your interest is limited - to save this historical publication!

Thank you all.

[Tom Sharp]

I have some wartime copies of Aero Modeller and adverts for Balsa say Balsa Wood is only available to members of the forces and Air Cadets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited By Tom Sharp on 18/05/2012 12:15:13

Edited By Tom Sharp on 18/05/2012 12:15:37

[Martyn K]

I would love to see aeromodeller back in one form or another. My interests are aeromodelling of which building and flying RC Models is one aspect. I don't have the time (or money) to start FF comp flying again, but I am interested in this and may get tempted back some time. I am also interested in the technologies in use across all disciplines of aeromodelling. I really hope that the new format enbraces all aspects of aeromodelling and is varied enough to make it an interesting read packed with information.

Bring it on.

Martyn

[kc]

I have got news for BEB.......aeromodelling is a religion!

Some of us are C of E, some catholic ( with a small C ) some fundamentalist,some born again and some are agnostics etc etc.

And we all meet on Sunday or perhaps Saturday with mid week practice for some. but of course we all have the same Bishop.......
.....the Bishop of Plumpton who leads the congregation on special occasions. ( Northerners & newcomers ask someone from the South for explanation.)

Back to the subject. It would appear that either AMI or Aeromodeller could disappear or be the retained title. So the older and most obvious title has been chosen. Lets hope all the remaining model magazines prosper and continue. Lets all pray for that .....
Here endeth this thread.....

Edited By kc on 18/05/2012 15:19:30

Edited By kc on 18/05/2012 15:28:31

[Scruffmeister]

For some reason I was under the impression the first issue was due out today - but now I can't find any info on their website or indeed a copy in WH Smiths. Any ideas when it hits the press?

[Peter Miller]

The November issue of RC Model Flyer says Coming soon. Avialbale in 200 selectered branchs of WH Smiths.

Did you know that magazines have to Pay WH Smiths very large sums of money just for them to put the magazine son the racks? Then they make a profit on the magazine as well.

[Fun Flyer]

Last I heard the first isuue had been put back by a month.

[Fun Flyer]

Sorry its December 18th.

[Daithi O Buitigh]

One problem with WH Smith is they are selective as to which of their outlets stock stuff. I remember one time trying to get a DVD version of 'Linux Format in Easons (they only had the CD version) and they told me that Smith's had the franchise and they weren't allowed to sell it. So, I trotted round to the newly opened (only in the previous week) branch here in Belfast and asked the manager (who was showing one of the head office types round) and he broke in "Oh we only stock things like that in a few stores". I just pointed out that we did know here what a DVD was (local manager hid in a corner laughing, head office guy turned beetroot )

All that has to do with the thread is that the chances of any local branch actually having copies is remote (I've ordered mine on subscription). Add in that 'reserved' copies are simply put in a cabinet on the main floor and anyobne can go to that, so if they are looking for something that isn't on the rack, then they simply go to the box and take yours (happened to me a lot - whjich is why I gave up on it)

[Astrahog 45]

Hi All

I feel sorry for Steve Dorling in his erstwhile role of editor of now defunct AMI. Back in March 2009 I wrote to him as a result of comments made in the Mag re Free flight on death Row . . I suggested it was time to re-introduce the Old well-tried and tested Aeromodeller Dynamic with the Free Plan John o Donnell and ( at the time ) Ron Moulton with the epononymous Peter Miller pressganged into service for a new line-up .

This is what he replied

" The Old Aeromodeller format - there may well be merit in that for us " OLDIES" but we are a dying breed and the numbers just dont stack up , so AMI is now a Jack of all trades and mastrer of none in many ways -- certainl yif we dropped the Aeromodeller content, i doubt whether sales would change markedly as a percentage of total circulation, but we are the only UK mag that runs F/F and C/L content and as long as Ican , I'm determined to retain an interest in both FF and C/L because to me , thats " real" aeromodellingat grass routes level, but as they say, nostalgia aint what it used to be ---! "

We roll the clock and then read the famous last editorial of AMI and i quote the last 2 parags.

" Aeromodeller , over the past eight or so decades has seen and rep[orted on al lof it ( Model Development ) and the title remains, by far the oldestmodel aviationtitlehere and probablyin the world , but nothing lasts forever. Its is thenwith huge sadnessand regret that , I have to announcethis is to be the last edition of AMI and Aeromodeller , for the moment at least !!

With no alternative publicationfor Traditional Aeromodellers the intention is to re - releaseAeromodeller as a stand - alone publication for traditional free Flight and C'L enthusiasts later in the year , but as Douglas Adam's so succinctly put it , for the moment it's so long and thanks for all the fish !!! Its been a great ride and i'm proud to have been associated with the oldest aeromodelling publication of all ."

Looking at this ADH Publishing Moguls have done the numbers and that AMI was losing money over some time with this publication and decided to pull the plug .--- not fully realising the full implications of AMI including Aeromodeller the oldes model mag thus resulting in appeasement in a hasty announcement that a stand -alone magazine entitled Aeromodeller would be reinaugurated later in the Year------ (..With the ease of shutting one publication down this Group can set another up --- in this case Aeromodeller .)

It is clear from the impact of Steve Dorling 's last editorial that detemination of success of any ADH Publication is decided on values way above that of sentiment , nostalgia . hence i feel that there may be other financial problems amounting to the already 2 months delay in new launch --- made more intricate by the taking of pre subscriptions .

I would buy the Aeromodeller despite having bought the Others at various times --- my favourite being the original Radio Modeller when Hughes ran it but again that's history running a high nostalgia temperature !!!

[kc]

Well if you look at this website aero-modeller.com/ you will see it is scheduled to be published next week. There are some links to a few online articles too.

[Astrahog 45]

Thks KC for the info . wishing this project the longevity it so desperately deserves but have a horrible feeling that this will be killed off within 2 Years .

If Circulation was fervent nostalgia to the tune voiced in and around the inaugural Website then Lazarus Aeromodeller will have the greatest circulation of every Model Mag ..

Sadly it isnt and doesnt unfortunately work in this way and the stark realism is that economics dictate that Copies per month - income to ougoings determine the outcome .

ADH are firmly in the driving seat here and will not shed any tears in shutting down the oldest Model Publication long before push comes to shove .

[kc]

Vernon your killing it off before its even published! Give them a chance!

Lets all look in WH Smiths next week and see if it's there, if it's not on the shelf then ask. This might help Aeromodeller get started.

[Daithi O Buitigh]

Some of us have already pre-subscribed (myself included) so we'll get it delivered to the door

[Tony Bennett]

yup

looking forward to reading it.

[Braddock, VC]

Vernon, with the duest of respect, if you imagine that a publisher would measure success in any other terms than fiscal you have to be living in cloud cuckoo land.

Personally I couldn't care less about aeromodeller and, as far as I can see, the major benefit of F/F and C/l is that the bmfa haven't tried to introduce competency tests.

If you google "sticks and Tissue it will take you to a free monthly digest from an aeromodelling club that is a breath of fresh air from our youth, unlike aeromodeller.

Sorry but I can't grieve over something I didn't and wouldn't buy.

[Astrahog 45]

VC Braddock

Thks but you are missing the point i was making . I want it to succeed but the odds are stacked against it by the numbers . Simply applying what I said Publishers dont care about nostalgia and will shut it down if it doesnt produce money . They shut down AMI which serviced a wide Clientele .

So , whats going to happen to a Magazine which has a finer tuned audience ?

Certainly nostalgia and sentiment arent going to keep it afloat . Patently there seems to be a lot of this about at present BUT will this be enough ?

So Guys , stand back and think about this and like me You will no doubt wish it the sucess it deserves but nevertheless query why these new content ideas dynamic were not put into the standalone AIM .

[Daithi O Buitigh]

I've been buying (and reading) Aeromodeller from the old MAP days and it's not for 'nostalgia'. I'm a modeller - and while I do have ARTF foamies, I miss the smell of balsa cement and dope. In short, if a magazine is going to be dedicated to the building side of things (whether it's FF, CL or RC), I'll buy it. FF models can be converted to RC (but you actually have to build them)

Edited By Daithi O Buitigh on 06/12/2012 16:41:20

[Fun Flyer]

I agree with Daithi 100% and I've subscribed to the new AM as well. However the only use I would have for foam is for cushioning batteries and receivers.

[Gerard York]

I think the real challenge in restarting is that Aeromodeller started in response to a growing hobby, at a time when hobby publications were the common experience of all enthusiasts .(Remember all the Percival Marshal publications?) Aeromodellers were keen to read about the new ideas and devices being developed by fellow modellers( very few commercial concerns around at that time,apart from some "cottage industry" sized efforts, Astral, Newcastle Model Shop.) It was written by enthusiasts, bought by enthusiasts. Today, most mags are produced by publishing groups and the skills of the sales department both in obtaining advertising content and review items controls the uptake by the target audience. If there are not enough "goodies" then numbers fall..Also, due to using the same contributor for separate magazines, effectivly creating a clone, annoys purchasersand again numbers fall.In the end the bean counters rule and the publication is pulled from the stable, as it is not contributing to profit

A new "Aeromodeller" is a huge risk. It must not be aimed at the current market, there is too much convergence there already. I would love to see it succeed, (I have suscribed), but the market and the need are not evident on a commercial basis.

There is a lot of interest in traditional aeromodelling, Try reading copies of the Raynes Park Club Newsletter "Sticks and Tissue", or suscribe to SAM 35. Perhaps if we could persuade the compilers of these great publications to combine their talents, the Phoenix could rise again!

[Martyn K]

My Aeromodeller arrived today.

Full of everything aeromodelling except mainstream R/C (there is a section on R/C Assist).

I'm still reading and enjoying it.

It also has a facimile of Aeromodeller No 1 (from1935) plus a free plan (a park flyer 1/2 size KK Senator).

Certainly, RCM&E have nothing to worry about content wise, but it is a nice view on the wilder world of aeromodelling and I'm looking forward to getting issue no.2 in 2 months time.

Martyn

[Tony Bennett]

read mine.

yup its ok, but i feel that concentrating on just FF and control line will kill it off in time.

[Martyn K]

Hi Tony

I hope not. According to the editorial, they are hoping to leverage the interest from the cheap imported foam park fliers etc and trying to nurture the latent market there. I really hope that they are successful. I agree that may have to diversify a bit though.

Martyn

[Andy Green]

Now here's a thing, the mind is a strange thing.

I've just downloaded the iPad app, and was flicking through the free 1935 issue, and I swaer I could smell that damp / old paper smell you get this old mags / books.

Andy