BarrettRCSF

Hi! I’m new to RCUniverse, but I’m excited to be involved. Also, I’m a new employee of Kiona Publishing, Inc. publishers of RC Sport Flyer magazine.


I’m reaching out to all RC airplane, helicopter, glider and multiroter enthusiasts. RC-SF is undergoing some exciting changes and advances. Our emphasis as always is to provide you with the optimal reading experience, as well as being your number one source for your gas-, glow-, electric-powered aircraft, and glider/sailplane, multirotor content. Truly all types of model enthusiasts can feel at home reading RC Sport Flyer. We are also providing a new iPad edition that is entirely interactive, with unique content that is not seen in hardcopy. The truly exciting part is that the first three issues released at iTunes are free, after that the iPad issues 99 cents. Look for our digital editions to hit the iTunes Newsstand within a week or so. In the meantime visit us at www.RC-SF.com to get the latest RC news from around the world.

OldRookie

My Feedback: (13)

RC Groups?....This is RC Universe.

Greg

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

And your link is bad too!

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

As of now (2:35 PM) link is still not working.....

BarrettRCSF

I apologize for the issues with my post. It was getting late at the office and I was trying to get the information out to as many flight enthusiasts as I could. The link is now operational.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Congratulations on your new job Mr. Barrett. I did get through to you link and must admit I just spent twenty or twenty five minutes of my life looking for anything and on any of those links within about Glow engine airplanes and could find nothing. Considering that rather strong promotional statement above your links were a deep disappointment, not that I ever really expected you could deliver on that statement anyway when it comes to glow powered airplanes

So no thanks and I think I will keep my 99 cents in my pocket.

John

KW_Counter

I've picked up the magazine up off the rack a couple of times.
They didn't inspire me to want to subscribe.
I get MAN, RC Flyer and Model Aviation - I'm happy with those, don't need any more.

KW_Counter

init4fun

First things first ;

It pays to know your audience at least well enough to not go doing what you did , It is as though you addressed the NY Yankees with a big "Welcome Red Sox Nation !" banner by coming in here and advertising to RC Groups .

And second ;

Those who try to be ALL things to ALL people end up pleasing few and alienating many .....

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

I'll admit I'm not familiar with RC Sport Flyer, but it is worth a look....and the next time I'm in Barnes and Nobel, I'll take a look and evaluate the mag.

Jerry

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I don't think you will find it Jerry. I wanted to purchase last month's issue of RCSF and looked at four different Barnes & Noble stores as well as both Hobby Bench locations and a host of grocery stores and other magazine outlets. I could not find it anywhere here in town athough I am sure I have seen it at B&N in the past. As far as I'm concerned it is essentially just another Model Aviation / Fly RC clone. Not a bad magazine but nothing to make it really stand out from the others. Quite honestly I think Flying Models and Model Aviation are the best these days as they at least make some attempt to cover a wider range of model disciplines and are not entirely eaten up with electric foamies and quadcopters. At least not yet! Unfortunately it looks like B&N has stopped carrying Flying Models as well, too bad.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Thanks for the head's up Chad....I'm always looking for another reading source and I still have a lot to learn!

OliverJacob

My Feedback: (12)

'RC Sport Flyer is the world’s most in-depth RC aircraft magazine' - who decided this? Was there a world wide competition?
The website does not support that statement. Nothing exciting there, lots of empty pages and not much information at all.

Well, it's a good idea to do your homework before you come here and try to get free advertisement, seems like you opened pandora's box...

flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

Didn't you know that models powered by glow engines are a thing of the past? You and I find this hard to believe when a recent poll conducted by MAN shows that 78% of modelers still use glow engines. 13% use gas and the remainder are electric powered.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Ya you know flycatch I cannot overstate the countless times I have heard that exact statement and by just substituting one word (controlline in place of glow) I have been hearing it for fifty years! Well I am quite proud to say I never totally abandoned that actrivity either even after sixteen years ago being forced to use a wheelchair

Now isn't that pole interesting. I was not aware of it Even allowing for the probable inaccuracys of limited sampling which seems to be endemic for our beloved sport/hobby/activity, I find those numbers to actually be very much closer to what is the actually the case at our local field. And this is by my own observation since I have flown on almost a daily basis there since 1994.

John

kdunlap

My Feedback: (12)

I am a long time RCSF subscriber and am happy to say that it does have the most in-depth content in the world and the most responsive staff. Plain and simple... Having a tough time trying to figure out why everyone is jumping on this guy..... Will Byers, the editor, is one of the last in the business who actually personally answers reader email and follows up with magazine content. Anybody ever get a personal response back from some of the other magazines? Publishing in print is a dying business, in case the nay sayers here haven't noticed. The margins are non existent and it is frankly a miracle that anyone publishes for the RC community. (Anyone remember the RC iPad magazine that just disappeared? It was in print for 1-2 issues as well.) The bottom line is that we need to support the publishing community that supports us. If you are looking for the perfect magazine, why don't you give it a try yourself? Let's support Will and everybody else who is trying to build a sense of community for this hobby. My guess is that most people spend more money each year on decals for their airplanes than on money for subscriptions. Should be the other way around... and no this is not a paid advertisement... and no I don't advertise in RCSF. I just appreciate how hard it is to be a print publisher.

Ken

kdunlap

My Feedback: (12)

and while I am on a roll... Anybody notice that some manufacturers use RCU to bash other manufacturers products on a near minute by minute basis and then have some of their customers pile on? Very orchestrated efforts. So, it seems entirely harmless to me to have a vendor (RCSF) start a thread with some good news. This is no different than the other thousands of product announcements posted here... Pretty harmless...

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

I would like to see or hear of some examples......

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

Very glad to hear that you are satisfied with the content of the magazine Ken. It appears, however, that many others are not. Or at least, like myself, are indifferent to it. I'm not sure why I should "support the publishing community that supports us" for no other reason than to keep the magazine afloat. If there is not enough demand for the magazine to make it profitable to publish than I guess maybe the market just doesn't need it. No? It's not that I'm looking for the perfect magazine either. Rather I'm looking for the one that offers me something of interest that I'm not already getting elsewhere. Why do I need subscriptions to three or four different magazines which are all feeding me almost the exact same material? Much of which I'm not interested in anyway I might add. Quite honestly there is rarely anything in any magazine I read that I have not already been exposed to via the Internet months prior. That right there may kill off most of the magazines and the simple fact is there may only be one or two survivors, if any, simply because that is all the market will support. For me personally I very rarely purchase any of the general interest model magazines. (I get MA with my AMA membership) Instead I prefer to spend my money on those that focus on the aspects of the hobby I am most interested in, primarily scale. I am not trying to be confrontational in any way but the fact that it is hard to be a print publisher is probably a good indicator that you better have something that sets you apart from the crowd before jumping in. Just my .02 cents of course.

PS - And for the record I personally have no issue with BarrettRCSF's posting here.

kdunlap

My Feedback: (12)

CV, fair enough and I appreciate your perspective. My experience with RCSF over the last 5 years has been nothing short of excellent. What I appreciate most is that they engage their readers and evolve the magazine with the input that they receive. But what sets them apart is that their reviews are not just a marketing piece for the vendor that sends in the free airplane for evaluation. I am frankly tired of the reviews that state this is the "best airplane ever made" and no cons ever come across. I was especially steamed with a certain manufacturer and magazine when they put out a glowing review and the airplane was a complete fit and finish disaster, backed up by problems reported on all of the forums and my personal experience.... You'll find factual reviews at RCSF and not fluff from authors that are afraid to bite the hand that gives them the free equipment. I have built upwards of 25 models in the past 2 years and not all are of equal quality. Yet the big magazines never report wing tubes that don't fit, ball links that don't move, or crappy landing gear that rips out with ease. Now in the end, it's a free world and RCSF needs to make a commercially viable magazine. Fair enough, But, I would just encourage folks to give them a try, it's not the same old stuff. I just was a bit distressed that the simple RCSF post was turned into blood sport. Thanks for the chance to dialog and I do appreciate your opinion.

Ken

kdunlap

My Feedback: (12)

Tailskid, you have 7923 posts and have never seen a thread were the manufacturer reps go to war with one another. Oh paalleeesseeee.....

Ken

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I appreciate your opinion as well Ken and based upon your arguments above I will give RCSF a second look with a fresh perspective. Maybe I just have not paid enough attention to notice the differences.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

I'm only asking for an example.....you can back channel me if you wish.

jerry

toolmaker7341

I subscribed at Toledo didn't renew. Bla!

oliveDrab

Not getting the positive responses you were hoping for ? Well, give it time........it may improve.....maybe. Some of these old/young geezers are very experienced and know what they're talking about. Welcome to RCU!! Home of the grumpiness old farts on the planet!

perdo

My Feedback: (61)

IF you want to advertise pay the fee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!