David Ashby - Moderator Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Ok, some news from my colleagues at the Plans Service. In a nutshell, the RCM&E Plans Range is available from Traplet Publications from today. I understand the existing website remains operational for the time being. This consolidation is no doubt a reflection of the 'internet' effect on traditional paper plan sales and the deal involves the transfer of 3 existing magazine titles to RCM&E's publisher MyTime Media. Needless to say, free pull-out plans will continue to be included with RCM&E every month as they always have. Knowing that some of the forum's armchair 'experts' will be keen deliver their usual hobby/publishing industry assessments perhaps I should add that the Plans Service is/was a completely separate business to RCM&E magazine. If you have a question then drop a post below and Beth and I will do our best to answer. Thanks David Edited By David Ashby - RCME on 03/10/2016 16:27:43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 That's interesting news David - thanks. As a plan aficionado, do you know if the 'X' listed plans will also continue to be made available? Essentially, that is the history of aeromodelling in the UK for the past 50 years. Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 I believe so Martyn, yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Does the comment " transfer of 3 existing magazine titles to RCM&E's publisher MyTime Media" mean aeromodelling magazines?? I think every aeromodeller will be wondering about their subscriptions if so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Dell Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 David I personally think it makes perfect sense to amalgamate all model plans together, although there may has been more interest in recent times it can't be a real money spinner I would have thought, me I have a pretty vast collection and will always be interested in plans, it would be good if Traplet could get hold of the ADH range as there some real pearls there too, luckily I got the ones I wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 Kc, no. Sorry, I should have said, they're all craft titles. Edited By David Ashby - RCME on 03/10/2016 17:30:56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Ashby Moderator Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Hi all, Continuing from David's post there is now a new MyHobbyStore customer services phone number for ordering plans woodpacks etc. It is now - 01684 588599 Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Some of us have "Reward points" still remaining - will these be retained? ( the points in many cases will have been acquired by submitting our photos which are used as part of the plan description. These are not the designers original photos but newer photos submitted by customers. Presumably Traplet will still want to use our photos ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Ashby Moderator Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 As long as you use the same account details to order your items on MyHobbyStore, your reward points will still be relevant and usable. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanN Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 I don't think it matters under whose roof the plan service sits so long as the operation remains viable and the plans remain available And on the plus side, I grew up in the area where Traplet are located, and still have family there, so I can get any future purchases collected ready for visits home - no more p&p for me Good q re the X-List Martyn K. Who knows, it may be better off under the new ownership - they might actually publish the index and plans classifications, without which the X-List is impenetrable unless you actually remember details of the plan you're after, or have some old plans handbooks Woodpacks might be one "wait and see". Don't think I've ever heard much negative about MHS woodpacks, but I've heard of quite a few issues re Traplet's - including two acquaintances whose purchases were so poor they sent them straight back as beyond any level of reasonable fettling or redemption. Hopefully those were the exception. Anyway, all the best to the new operation and long may plans continue to be available. It's probably long been a declining market - hence no doubt the rather steep prices that pretty much preclude buying a plan to peruse it just out of interest. However, we should be grateful that they continue to be on sale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 My own experience with Traplet plans/wood packs was pretty dire. It was a boat rather than an aeroplane but to be fair they refunded all my money, including the cost of the plans and the instructional DVD so, as I was able to modify the wood to fit, I was happy. Built the hull but that's as far as I've got - another unfinished project I seem to lack stamina. I've sent off for the three way drawing and wood pack from Traplet and they phoned me today to ask if I wanted the magazine article. I know it was a sales spin but it shows they're on the ball and I bought the mag to be included in the postage. I just needed a quickish build to get me out of the doldrums. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Thanks for the information, David and Beth. I have had connections with the publishing world for many years and am familiar with the wants and needs of the companies involved. Not to mention the costs. It is not the glamourous industry some people think it is ! It will be interesting to see what Traplet do with this now extremely large back catalogue of plans from many original sources. Many of which are now approaching the end of copyright. The storage alone for the master copies must be a headache in itself ! I am a little curious about one aspect of this deal. If Traplet are to handle all existing RCM&E plans now and in the future, how will the magazine be able to review new plans by designers contracted to Traplet ? Does this mean that new designs (particularly scale) will not be reviewed by yourselves ? Is the magazine to be just a shop window for boxes produced in the Far East. I doubt it, but these are the sorts of questions likely to be asked, certainly in the near future. On a final note, Ian has commented about the "steep prices" of plans. Why do so many people complain about this ? If you look back through the history of model plans you will see that they are no more expensive today relatively, than they were 50 years ago. In fact they are probably cheaper now in real terms! Would you buy a book just to flick through the pages to see if you fancied reading it? What I cannot understand is why model boat plans are comparatively more expensive than model Aeroplane plans ? Cheers and all the best in what is starting to become a rather volatile industry. Keep Clam and build models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Purcha Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 If Traplet is handling the RCM&E plan services, what effect does this have on Traplet USA which handles the North American plan service for Traplet? Would be great if Traplet USA did handle RCM&E plans service for North America also. Now if only we could get come of the kit cheap acorss on this side of the pond. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 Kevin, No magazine 'reviews' plans, they're either included inside with a build article or, if the model is too big then there's a plan feature written by the designer and folks must buy the plan. There are other considerations those who submit plans always make and, as I say, we'll continue to have new pull out plan designs in RCME - no change there. In truth we've had far fewer plan features these last few years with most of the designs submitted fitting onto the pull-out sheets. Those who miss an issue are best advised to buy a back-issue - far cheaper then buying the plan and you get the build article alongside of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Posted by kevin b on 04/10/2016 00:29:28: On a final note, Ian has commented about the "steep prices" of plans. Why do so many people complain about this ? If you look back through the history of model plans you will see that they are no more expensive today relatively, than they were 50 years ago. In fact they are probably cheaper now in real terms! Would you buy a book just to flick through the pages to see if you fancied reading it? What I cannot understand is why model boat plans are comparatively more expensive than model Aeroplane plans ? Cheers and all the best in what is starting to become a rather volatile industry. Keep Clam and build models. I dissagree strongly. Back in the 50, 60s and 70s plans were very cheap. One could afford to buy three or four at a time with the knowledge that one would probably only build one of them. Discussing this with several friends of around the same age they ll agreed The average price of an R/C plan in 68/69 was about 7 shillings, or 35p. Even the mighty Astro Hog was only 15 shillings or 75p. Control line anf free flight models were less on average. Taking the average price a skilled man on £30 a week. (Just before that I was earning £27 a week at Hawker Siddley building airlners as a fitter) Today an Odalallay plan is over £17 so you would have to be earning £700 a week to be on a par. So Kevin, would you buy three or four plans today just to look at them as we did back then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 I should add that the above was based on the AstroHog If you take the average 1968 price as 30p then you could buy a hundred 30p plans for your £30. Oodalally is about the same as a 30p plan back in those day so you could buy about 100 plans for your weeks wage. Who earns £1700 a week? We afre not all bankers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 The point about price is today we can walk into a local copy shop and get a plan printed ( often for about 3 or 4 pounds for small sizes) so we know what the cost is, but when we buy from a Plan Service it almost always costs 12 to 17 pounds or more. As the designers don't seem to get paid commission on sales we can see that the plan service operators charge 3 times the cost that the copy shops do for selecting the computer file & pushing the buttons! Unless ADH plans get revived as a separate firm it seems Traplet will now have a monopoly of magazine plans in Britain and there will only be about 3 professional suppliers in the English speaking world. (MAN in USA and Airborne in Australia are the only other English language magazines with plan services I can think of) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Just as a matter of interest..............I bought the complete Brian Taylor Mk1 Spit (smaller version) plan/wood/mouldings etc from Traplet last year and found the quality to be excellent. A few other clubmates are also building BT plans at the moment from Traplet woodpacks, also with no real complaints. The only gripe from my parts was with some 1/64 ply items made from wood as brittle as thin pastry that delaminated as soon as you looked at it. Easily replaced with some better quality stuff from my stock. I don't agree that plans are too expensive. The suppliers have to make money from what I suppose is their intellectual property and that is the bottom line. If a plan costs thirty quid from Traplet or wherever, it's not just the cost of the paper you're paying for but all the infrastructure that revolves around it in terms of the suppliers business and of course postage. Taking all that into account, If they make a tenner or so on the sale then I reckon they're doing well. If it's not worth their while, we'll all lose. Edited By Cuban8 on 04/10/2016 11:34:41 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset anyone, But even with my rosiest tinted spectacles I can't remember anything from my youth being particularly cheap. Modelling items in particular ! I just had a peruse through some of my old magazines. here is an example. RCM&E December 1962. Price 2 shillings (10p). Plan review Six Gun price 8 shillings an six pence (42.5p). RCS single channel radio (no servo) eighteen pounds eighteen shillings and six pence (£18.925). Bearing in mind that back then there was no tax on printed paper, as there is now (VAT). I do agree though that when looked at relative to other modelling materials, plans do appear to have not come down in price the same. It will be interesting to see what Traplet do with their acquisition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Purcha Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Great to see on the US Traplet website the RCM&E catalogue of plans will be offered in North America. Makes for less expensive shipping and quicker delivery. At least that's how it appears. http://us.trapletshop.com/rcme-plans-service Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Purcha Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Great. Traplet Plans USA has all the RCME plans available from the US for Canada. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted July 27, 2017 Author Share Posted July 27, 2017 We locked the Traplet thread thanks to the idle, uninformed speculation. Same here. We'll unlock the Traplet thread when some firm information hits the public domain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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