Bad News And Good.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

No Guvnor - that figure of 38,000 is indeed for a month.

Also as RCM&E is the largest circulation RC mag in rhe UK I'm afraid that C8's assumption that RCMW's circulation is similar is also somewhat wide of the mark! RCMW's circulation is rather lower than RCM&E.

BEB

[Jim Purcha]

There have been several great free plans. Just no time to build them all.

Jim

[OZ e flyer]

I guess this is the age old problem for any publication. Not everyone will like everything you print. I don't fly IC. No other reason than council rules not allowing their use where I fly. So the whole club is electric only. Others would never think of flying anything but IC. Which do you print? IC articles or electric? Some like big warbirds, others small indoor flyers, you like potatoes I like tomatoes. You get my drift.

I think RCM&E does an outstanding job of writing for the broad cross section and from what I took from Davids comments they intend to continue in this fashion. (Fantastic, says I). I believe that limiting the scope of content in anyway is to limit the appeal to readership, I also understand that the cost of publishing something with enormous content is expensive and to recoup those costs by way of a fair retail price could limit appeal to potential customers, particularly in a time where electronic media is killing off paper publications at an alarming rate. Finding your niche in the market would be a very challenging task indeed.

Again I think RCM&E has hit its mark perfectly and they deserve accolades for doing so. I would be curious to find out what your global circulation is excluding the U.K. I know that trying to buy the magazine over the counter here in Australia was becoming hard as it sold out very quickly at my local news agency. Solution: I got myself a subscription.

Again thank you RCM&E for sticking to your formula, I'm sure it will ensure your ongoing success.

TP

[kc]

It's only the 'free' plan that makes it worth buying an RC magazine! If there is a good plan I would buy the magazine - if it's not an interesting plan it stays on the newsagents shelf.

In my view RCMW are making a big mistake if they don't have a free plan each month - suddenly a subscription is far less worthwhile.

[Nightflyer]

I think kc makes a good point there are a number of people who might see that as a reason to buy. At the same time sometimes you have one in the hand then see the other mag and might like the model(s) and end up buying both. Far less likely to happen with RCMW now and may make it easier for people to choose RCM&E if the plan(s) are seen to be a good bonus.

[Tony Harrison 2]

I buy r/c magazines only rarely - but then, it's the same for magazines in general since at getting on for a fiver they're poor value for money. I buy many books for less than that... But when I do buy an r/c magazine it's often as not because there's a free plan that looks interesting. I haven't yet built any of these but I very likely will, as part of my still quite recent but burgeoning interest in this hobby. If RCME and Quiet & Electric Flight were to discontinue free plans, or cut them back severely, I'd buy them even less frequently that at present.

[i12fly]

I subscribe to rcm&e mainly because of the free plans. They are very important to me even though I don't build many.

I'll occasionally buy rcmw but only if I fancy the free plan, 2 or 3 times a year.

So good decision David, thank you. ☺

[Steven S]

After retiring and moving into a smaller place I had to downsize my hobbies. I almost got into model trains, but while looking through the magazine section at the bookstore I came across the March 2014 issue of ”Quiet & Electric Flight” with a free pullout plan for a Volksplane by John Blakey. I bought the magazine, built the Volksplane and enjoyed the experience immensely. Since then I have built a “Wiggo”, a “Woodys Pusher” [Autozone] and am now working on a “Flugboot”. I’ve also joined our national club and our local club, and learned to fly.

I am a digital subscriber to RCM&E and pick up the paper copy of any magazine if the free plan looks interesting so YES I hope that the magazines keep inserting plans into them.

[Paul Marsh]

Maybe I've got a good idea:

In a magazine, there is no plan included, but, there is, inside a free plan, but not in the magazine.

If the person wants the plan, the person will email requesting one, will send him/her a free plan, with just a 2nd class postage paid for by the magazine.
(To avoid non-purchasers of the mag getting a freebie - there is a code in the magazine, which much be included when the order is placed.

If you do not want the free plan, then you don't order, so say, from a monthly publication of 30,000 units, normally, you would need 30,000 plans. But if only 400 wanted the free plan that month, or whenever, it would cost much less than having to include 30k of plans in the magazines - both would be environmentally viable - less waste and less cost for the publisher.

What do you think?

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Pete Crosby]

Sorry to see this, RCMW on the shelf this month has no plan

So I decided to renew my RCM&E for the free plans and great tips, now that I see RCM&E is going down the no plan every month route this will be the last time I subscribe

I began my modeling life building from the free plans and although I only ever managed to finish and fly a few I learned ton's from the skills gained while trying to complete a model, I enjoy the nice plan and although I dont build them all I store for future builds or give to friends that want to start building.

Sad news even if we only get a plan every 3 months

[Bernard Koussoulos]

I think many peaple purchased the mag for the free,well not free if you pay £4or5,for the magi got t if and when i fancied the plan sorry but the mag does not a lot for me it,s a good mag don,t get me wrong but unless you have deep pockets m,i have,nt then it,s for you .shame really.i use this sight for any info i need and or tips good luck to the sight it,s for me,

[Andy G.]

Pete Crosby,

I think you have misread the situation? RCM&E is keeping the pullout plans and RCMW will be providing one every other month, not every third month. I emailed Kevin Crozier, RCMW's editor to register my displeasure. He replied very quickly to say that the matter had received a lot of comment and he said that the feeling was split roughly 50 / 50 . He also implied that all comments were being passed onto management and that the decision was NOT set in stone.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Pete Crosby]

Andy G cheers for clearing that up, for me the plans was a bonus for buying the mag.. some of the info in the mag was a good read but mainly for me its a stuck in the car waiting mag.. the plan is what i often purchased the mags for.. think I may now do what others have said.. watch the shelves for the ones with plans and buy in shop.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Pete - where have you got the idea that RCM&E are not going to continue with a free plan? As Editor David Ashby clearly states above in this thread - far from stopping free plans, they are increasing them!. I'd hate you miss out because of a misconception!

BE

[Pete Crosby]