J3FAN

I used to ENJOY the Model Airplane magazines every month.
Unfortunately I no longer do, and I don't think it's just me ( getting old )
1 - excessive ads, and even those are repeated constantly
2 - every airplane report is identical in format to all others : quote: contents of the box, received damaged or ok, packaged correctly, etc etc etc
3 -product reports are always "favorable" ... I frequently observe bias. Not all products reviewed are that good and the report SHOULD BE HONEST in the interest of the reader .
I - could continue, but for sure everybody knows the rest.
COROLLARY
I find that running through these Forums is by far more entertaining and productive
and yields much more useful information. It takes a little time to get the information, but getting it direct from "the horse's mouth" is well worth it.
Just my opinion.
I am cancelling my subscriptions soon.
Just an opinion.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

I like the ads. You can stay up to date on some pricing, see who carries what and find new suppliers of hard to find items. I agreee on the usefulness of reviews compared to what you learn online although sometimes they get it right.

Lately I like Fly RC and I've dropped the others but I think I'll give RC Reports a try because of their differant approach to the business.

randall1959

My Feedback: (11)

Well, you kinda have to figure in a few variables to see why you don't find many negative reviews in most magazines.
One is the need for revenue to keep the magazine operating and advertisement is a big part of that. Although magazines are supposed to be geared for the reader, it's the advertisers that keep most publications going. It's sorta like biting the hand that feeds you.
If you were a distributor or manufacturer I'm sure you wouldn't send things for review to a magazine that is always trashing your product. You would seek out the most favorable response you could get.
There's also the idea that not everyone will look at something the same way. For one it might be a pain in the butt, and to the other it will just be more of a challenge. One man's idea of junk is just another man's opportunity to experiment and improve.
It's all in how you view something.
There's also only so many ways to write an effective review and box condition, instructions and the like only lend themselves in so many ways to interpret and to post in an article.
Pretty much any review will have a logical series of explanations and steps and come to a conclusion so there's pretty much a formula to it in order to get the steps in the right place and to bring the whole review to it's logical completion.
I never use magazine reviews as my soul source of information. The review sometimes starts the process, but then it evolves into coming on here asking questions and reading what others that use the product have to say, then possibly going to the field and watching the real thing in action if I can, before I make up my mind whether or not to purchase something.

cwrr5

My Feedback: (32)

I agree Randall.... IMHO....The magazines are just a small fraction of the hobby, but by no means the entire story. I prefer to see first hand what's out there, talk to people, etc, before I consider starting a new project. They are good in that they show what's going on in the hobby, as well as cover the larger events that the majority of us don't have the opportunity to get to. Also, sparking the interest of someone who happens to pick up a magazine from somewhere helps give the general(non-modeling) public a good idea what it's all about. That's what makes our hobby grow!

Not to mention the fact that they don't have to be plugged in to anything...

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

No matter the magazine, the contents and formats are almost identical. Model Aviation only has a small portion for the majority of modelers which is RC. Sure, there are still many other aspects of the hobby, and the participants deserve a spot, but it should be relative to their actual percentage of the hobby. I receive too many magazines now and will let all but Fly RC drop when the subscriptions expire. I suppose Model Aviation will always be with us if we want to compete. Kit and ARF reviews, are there any but ARF reviews, are dropped out of the same cookie cutter. RCU is a better platform for keeeping up with the hobby and you can get almost instant answers to technical and performance questions.

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

I tend to agree with all the above posts, though I would add my nickel's worth regarding "biting the hand..." If a product that was truly a POS gets a decent review, the manufacturer has little incentive to improve it; if it gets trashed, pisses the mfg. off, it's highly unlikely that the mag would go out of business from loss of one advertiser, and it puts the other guys on notice that they need to make sure their product is worthy of the buying public. Most products we buy are from LHS or through distributors; when we get something less than expected, we tend to gripe at them rather than the guy who made it. How much of that s*** actually rolls all the way back to the mfg? .

But on to the larger view, the mags themselves. I'd like to see more devoted on "how to" in terms of scratch and kits. Seems like ARF's are taking over, and while they have their place, to a builder, there's not much more involved than screwing on the wings, engine, wheels and sticking in the servos. I'd like to see more on modifying one thing to another (kitbashing), altering one type plane to another, such as changing a civilian type plane to its military counterpart, painting and covering with something more complex than MonoCote. There's some of that out there, but way too little, if some of the questions you see on this forum are any indication. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this forum, am total junkie and have learned more here than anywhere else beyond the flying field. Ill still get all the mags, but I do wish they would expand their focus.

Highflyer

i think that RCreport is by far the best mag out there.....they tell the truth about products and u will see some bad reviews. also all of the articles are very interesting
Model Aviation has an interesting article once evry 2 or 3 months
u wanna talk about boring? try reading some of the full scale mags

Flypaper 2

Used to like the articles in the 60s and 70s mags with the how to's Such Hall DeBolt telling you how to modify a prop for better performance. How to repair a fuse. Make a foam cutter, etc.without all the manufacturers under the sun listed at the end.Sorry for the gripe Also articles were three or four pages long, something you could get your meathooks into.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

I've seen the mags go downhill in the 9 years I've been involved. Use to be a lot of good, lengthy reviews, mostly of kits. Now it's almost exclusively ARF's everywhere you look.

I believe that a couple of the guys who review for the major mags have posted here, and have said that when they find a major flaw in a kit or ARF, they contact the manufacturer and give them a chance to make it right before the publication goes to print. (ie. Promise to correct future kits.)

If that's the case, then they may be more truthful than we give them credit for, but I too have seen things in reality that haven't appeared in the review.
Dennis-

Jim Thomerson

I take it none of you are familiar with Flying Models magazine.

Jim

J3FAN

Professor J.Thomerson
remember me ? CUBSCUBSCUBS is the older fellow whom you tried to teach to do U/C in SCOBEE with the RingMaster and the ME-109.
I willingly stand corrected, because FLYING MODELS is still a most acceptable model airplanes magazine. It is DIVERSIFIED, the trouble is that we are no longer as diversified, as hobbyists.
Yes, your point will be that we can learn something from each discipline, ( Free Flight, etc ) and that stand is also correct.
I sure wish we lived closer than Houston - Austin, because I so wish I could try again to see if I can somehow DO this U/C thing
I hope that you are well. Maybe see you soon
RICK

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

I've not heard of it, but would like to check it out. Do they have an e-zine or website? Who do you contact for subscription?

J3FAN

SENT YOU AN EMAIL WITH ALL THE FLYING MODELS PARTICULARS
NOWHERE DO THEY SHOW A SIGN OF WEB SITE OR E-ZINE
CUBSCUBSCUBS

Cajun

My last great hope was R/C Report. Subscribed to it from year 1 back in mid 80s. They had a few good writers, but their real strength was product reviews.

Sadly they now have evovlved into a mag for giant scale and ARF reviews. Well, perhaps not totally, they did a triple review on engine test stands this month which included a $100 model. WOW, I see a big market for that! This month's issue contained a five page review on a ARF trainer which could have been covered, if it was even necessary, in one page.

One has to wonder how many more reviews of ARF trainers we can endure.

I see a split coming when my renewal comes up this time.

I used to buy Flying Models off the news stand, and enjoyed it, but have not seen it in years. I thought they were out of business.

Perhaps the mags have just become irrelevant in the internet age. They just contain too little too late.

cwrr5

My Feedback: (32)

All too true...... [&o] too many ads! Now that I think on it.... There did used to be a LOT more construction/how-to stuff in the magazines. However, I do like looking for the smilies in r/c report!

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

Just my take, as I got better, magazines lost their value to me.. Most aerobatic plane reviews are done by people that cant do aerobatics.. that is what bothered me the most, another thing is that I see too many parkflyer reviews in them, like to see more larger complex machines, but I also understand that not everyone likes what I do, and they are only doing it to make money.

Last thing, there is never a bad review in a magazine, IMO RCU has the most honest reviews, plus you get to see video! Cant get that out of a paper book. I only buy mags to give me something to read when away from RCU

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

I just dumped my only rag....MAN. I like the ads, and keeping up on the
new stuff....but I get that here at RCU. There is just too much stuff that
I'm not into, like electrics, park flyers, ect. I just don't read them anymore
and they pile up....just a waste of money....when I do pick one up, there's
just not enough in there to justify renewing my subscription. []

FBD.

Red B.

I agree with the previous posts.
Most magazines cater for the Buy and Fly ARF community only.
In addition to Flying Models there are a couple of British magazines that have slightly more varied content, Aviation Modeller International, Radio Control Model Flyer and Flying Scale Models. You can have a look at their content at this website [link=http://www.bumpygreen.co.uk/index.htm?http://www.bumpygreen.co.uk/Regulars...php]BumpyGreen[/link].

Unfortunately we, the modelling community, get the kind of magazines that we deserve. Since we mostly buy ARFs that's what the manufacturers try to sell us and that's what they will advertise in the magazines.
/Red B.

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

Most of this has been said before.
(this is becomming one of those 'repeat' forum trheads..)

Because of teh ARF & electrics trends, we will see less and less 'glow powered kits', both reviewed and offered. Pitty, as teh mags will jump on the latest trends..

(Despite tryign to find numbers to prove one trend or another, I still beleive it is teh manufactureres who are pushign teh ARF trend to better line their pockets.)

And any magazine that crosss the $10CAD mark won't get my $10! (that includes teh 15.56% taxes..)
So, MAN, too thin, and way too many ads for that price!
Fly RC, you too, are $8.99CAD cover price, but you do offer twice as much as MAN.
RCM, you're comming close, but still may fave, as you touch on a few different subjects, ansd still seem to employ 'writers'. RCR, make yourselves availabel on the bookstand!

R/C planes mags are usually the more pricey titles of my magazine purchaces..

quint-rcu

My Feedback: (24)

I think Cajun may have hit on something.I'm letting all my subscriptions expire and sticking to the Internet. There are lots of great sites here and RCU is much more entertaining. - After all, you guys are here and the discussions are varied and honest.

quint

tIANci

I buy plane mags once every few months only ... why? Its all about advertising and crappy reviews. Same old format and nothing new. I shall not name the magazines but then have you guys out there read the great review for the VMAR Hornet? Its a lousy plane but got a great review. I am sorry and I do not want to insult but US mags really suck due to the fact that they are sucking up to the advertisers. This was the same when I was into RC cars, some cars are really bad news and its a fact but the US mags gave thm great reviews. British mags are much better, not as flambouyant but they give you very fair reviews.

Jim Thomerson

A source of plans and other things is www.flying-models.com

Jim

JDHammer

My Feedback: (1)

RC Scale International- A magazine with great build articles, beautiful pictures and not many ads has now been DISCONTINUED. [sm=confused.gif]

Grampaw

RCM was a brand new magazine when I got into R/C. I found it at a newstand and continued buying it for many years. I learned a lot from it by reading and studying the plans in the construction articles. I built a few simple planes for .o49s then progressed up the ladder to the "big ones" (.35s , .40s, and then a .60!) I doubt that from that date to today I have only bought and built a total of 10 kits. All the rest were RCM plans, or one of my designs based on an RCM plan. MAN had a few I liked, but by and large RCM was my "bible." I miss the old format. They often had two construction articles in an issue. They had several contributing designers and by studying the various plans by all these guys it was an education. A note about those planes: they were designed for strength, and a few of them could have been used as Baseball Bats! They don't make 'em like that anymore! I used to pick up an occasional MAN and a Flying Models when I could find one. If I see a model mag on a newstand now I'll thumb through it and if anything catches my fancy, buy it. I saved a lot of articles and plans over the
years for reference that still come in handy today. Things change, sometimes for the better, but I still liked the old stuff. Of course what'd you expect an "Old Geezer" to say? Good flying all!

Roquewj

My Feedback: (4)

The way I see it, only RC Report truly makes a honest review on products.

RCM is just a catalog.
MAN is an album with nice pictures. Period.

Model Aviation shows many aspects of our hobby that I enjoy reading. But as far as review is concerned, not one beats RC Report.