mattnew

My Feedback: (2)

I don't know, I was wondering how others felt.. have others noticed that when they read the magazines they have been shaking their heads and disagreeing with the articles lately?
my main issue comes from the the technical articles, and the advice, and the pointers ... and the fact that over and over again I'm seeing bad and incorrect information being dispensed as "expert advice"... If you email the magazine, no response back, if you post on their facebook page.. it is promptly deleted... I get that a lot of hard work goes into these magazines and I want to see that continue... but I also want to see the articles correct.. I try not to be someone who really goes around criticizing other's hard work.. I don't want to be either, but I kinda feel like they need to step it up a bit...

Case in point, and this isn't to pick on any particular author, but it was the article that prompted me to write this post
September MAN Flight Technique:
Pro-Pilot turning tips: how Elite pilots turn vs everybody else.... 5 pages in which I learned that elite pilots either use aileron and elevator to make turns, or rudder and elevator to make turns. Effectively ... 'bank and yank' is what all the pros are doing ... really? they aren't doing coordinated turns using both aileron and rudder to make them smooth? Bank and Yank won Top Gun this year for the flying portion of the scoring? I apologize for the sarcasm.... and I apologize to Dave Scott for picking on his article ( I could have picked any one of a dozen over the past year ) , his method for turning is perfectly fine, I just feel that there is more to be taught here, especially when the article is how the "Elite" do it. lets talk coordinated turns! lets talk about using all 4 main controls!

Again, it isn't just this one article.. its a bunch of them...


thoughts?

init4fun

Hi Matt ,

I must admit to only getting M.A. now , since it comes with the AMA membership . I did have "Fly RC" for a few years but let it expire because it seemed every issue was the exact same with maybe a few new features/articles each month . It was like 85% of the magazine was the exact same ads from the exact same vendors month after month with precious little actual new content each month . I can't say I've seen a lot of bad advice in M.A. but I can say that some of the advertisers could use a bit more discretion in their photography , when I see images of aircraft being flown over folk's heads like I see in some ads it comes across to me as kinda irresponsible since we all know it's a no no to fly directly over people . I will keep a closer eye and if I see any patently bad advise I'll bump it up in this thread for comment .

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

I just look at the pictures,,
I took a flight from LA to CLE a few years back,, I tried to read an issue of MA,, Just couldn't do it. Thank goodness I also had a Sudoku book

koastrc

Over the years scale for 4 me I do about the same, look at the pictures. They should have some sharp looking aircraft center fold. That would be nice, or do like RCM back in the day. Have a pretty girl in the picture with the air-plane. As far as advice. You know like many old folks, it is the person that writes the story. In my travels it has been discovered some of these experts can't fly. So i will throw in with you and look at the pictures.

Jennifer Curtis

After looking at the author guidelines on the Model Aviation
web site it is no surprise that the articles are so poor.
For me to put up with their demands, they would have to
pay very well, which I doubt would happen. I suspect
many very knowledgeable modelers feel the same.

Jenny

Soar RC

Model Builder magazine by Bill Northup was the best ever and is missed sorely.

Jennifer Curtis

I liked Model Builder a lot.

RCM was my favorite, though. For
a while I had almost every issue. It
was a really sad day when I found
that termites invaded my shed and
destroyed about 90% of them.

Jenny

mattnew

My Feedback: (2)

Agree on the RCM, was a great publication with a number of very knowledgeable builders. I still have a significant number of those from my father.

R/C Scale Modeler is a magazine in print in England that is also very good, although to get a subscription in the states is a bit prohibitive cost-wise.

The tips and pro-advice that I'm seeing in the magazines lately just frustrate me. It isn't that they are completely wrong, it is that they often are what I'd describe as "amateurish"... or "you can do it that way, but there are 10 other better/easier/more accurate/consistent ways that will make your life easier that would have been better to publish."

I remember ~2 years ago there was advice on hinge installation that wasn't bad but wasn't great either. It was the most basic of basic information and the method they recommended leaves many people frustrated from my experience. I tried contacting them and having a constructive discussion about doing a part 2 that had some better tips and tricks.... they weren't interested... in some ways I get it... to them I'm a nobody that is just criticizing their work. I tried pretty hard to be a positive/constructive criticism nobody that tried to make the magazine better though...

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

Haven't read MA in years. I got tired of looking through it for articles of interest, I gave up. Seems like it's all RTFs, ARFs and electrics. Now it's in the trash on receipt, not worth my time.

I miss RCM, Ken Willard and Don Dewey. Used to read RCM cover to cover.

countilaw

I think we need to cut these guys some slack. It's a hard job to come up with an article each and every month. I knew Chuck Cunningham personally when he was writing for RCM. He had a full time job, but spent countless hours with build articles, designing aircraft, and holding down a full time job, and was very active in pattern flying as well. I think he spent many a night burning the midnight oil to get his articles out by the dead line.

Maybe their articles aren't master pieces, but they do provide some good reading. And for some people, they are very educational.

I think we just need to be thankful that we still have MAN still in publication. I don't know how old Clarence Lee is, but I remember reading his column in the early 70s, and here it is 45 years later and he is still writing articles.

Try reading some of the ads. Without them, there would be NO rags to read.

Frank

koastrc

Will buy your thoughts on Mr Lee and Cunningham. These two guys did a lot for model aviation and we are not talking the magazine. These guys were around when you needed to share what we knew because it wasn't for sale. Not suggesting these people that are doing the writing today are not trying. They are trying and the audience they are talking to has changed. Frank there is a feeling you and I came up in a era when landing in the same county you took off in was a great day. Got to admit there is some nice pictures. Wish they had more about clubs around the country and what they are doing to preserve flying sites. More about support equipment and the like. These new guys know a lot about those things.

twistman

My Feedback: (42)

RCM was the best and RC Reports was a good one. Just a quick note, Chuck Cunningham passed away.

franklin_m

I'd for one like to see someone do articles on what happened with ThunderTiger and US distributors, and get to the bottom of what happened, and more importantly, what to expect in the future. I too agree it's too much manufacturer supported puff pieces.

franklin_m

Here's another article idea...dig deep into the issue of "flyaways" with the various quad manufacturers and then go out and get independent verification/testing done.

[email protected]

My Feedback: (1)

i give all my model [ama] magazines to the good will box they dont have much in them and they can stop sending it to me anytime

dwaynenancy

My Feedback: (62)

I think I have all the issues of RCM along with a lot of magazines from the early 50's. I know I have Kraft's Quickfli MarkIII, Tarasus and others.

DGM

Maybe you guys should switch to PEOPLE magazine and you can read all about all the superstars you never heard of. Come on... get a life.

raptureboy

Those pretty girls in bikinis holding planes in the RCM mags were for a boy of 14 like almost having a girlie magazine your parents let you read Ahhh the good ole days.

franklin_m

How about an in depth article on the AMA's statement that "A-less-than stellar claims history over the last few years has resulted in AMA incurring more than $1,000,000 in expenses against our self-insured retention" ... as part of the reason for the dues increase. Obvious questions would be "What is AMA doing differently to reverse this trend and/or prevent it from continuing?

jeffEE

My Feedback: (5)

I guess I am the odd man out here. I look forward to getting the AMA mag. in the mail each month. I read it cover to cover. Even if it is about areas I do not participate in. I may just learn something. And if I think there is an error in the article, I can always let them know about it. I have sent in a few stories, and comments to the AMA and had one of them printed. After I have read the book, I put it by the door to my house, and when I go to dentist or doctor or auto shop I drop off a copy or two. Spread the word about the hobby.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Cut them slack??? Heck no...
Don't they get paid for those articles?? And, Not while I'm being forced to pay for a magazine I don't want and I'm sure would fail quickly if they had to compete on the open market.That so called magazine does nothing but line a few guys pockets. Way I see it it's only purpose the last 30 years is inserting advertising into my house while operating under the "it's a newsletter" charade.

MAN, competes in the market place, you won't see me bashing them at all.

5skyhawk172

Yes miss the cover girls on RCM !

countilaw

Maybe for all these discontents that don't want to received a copy of Model Aviation, The AMA should set a method that they could donate their copy of the magazine to the local Boy Scouts, Public Library or Public school.

Instead of complaining about it, do something useful with it !

Frank

thepamster

Out of all of the RCM's, Model Airplane News, and Model Aviation magazines that I have ever bought since around the mid 80's I maybe have read four articles. I bought them for the pictures and the ads. Even though the ads were often exactly the same each month, I could not wait to open that magazine and look at the pictures. Lol.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

You miss, or intentionally deflect from, the point entirely.