Digital Archive Back Issues

[Gerald Gardiner 1Participant @geraldgardiner1]

How far back do the digital archives go?

Regards,

Gerald.

[Gerald Gardiner 1Participant @geraldgardiner1]

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Gerald,

 

They go back to January 2007 which was when the company switched to using PDF files to prepare the printing process.

 

At the moment I’m not aware of any plans to manually scan in earlier issues. Could be quite costly to do so.

 

Regards,

 

Colin

[Gerald Gardiner 1Participant @geraldgardiner1]

I was hopeful that they would put some of the earlier years in digital.

Regards,

Gerald.

[Francis MacnaughtonParticipant @francismacnaughton39461]

Colin,

 

Is there anywhere an index of all the MB articles ever printed or even just each content page?

 

 

Francis Macnaughton

[Paul FreshneyParticipant @paulfreshney24971]

I have kept a copy of each of the contents pages of each issue of MB that  I have produced since 2007 and have a list of all kit reviews and free plans going back to the mid 80s. There is not a ‘global’ index of articles prior to 2007. However as the digital back issues go back to 2007, they are readily accessible online so those contents pages are there to be seen. So the only ‘new’ information I can give is if on request someone asks when a Free Plan article was in the magazine or if we have done a review of a particular kit.

 

I, along with Colin, wish all magazine readers, subscribers and forum users a Happy Xmas. The Editorial Office is closed from 5pm tonight until Monday 4th Jan. 

Paul Freshney

Editor 

[Andy HubbardParticipant @andyhubbard31110]

Brilliant, can you tell me which issue the fishing boat plan Boxer BM1459 came with?

 

It would be really helpful to have a list of which issue went with which plan, I sometimes spend hours trawling through magazines and websites to get this information and not always with success

 

Cheers, Andy

[Rick DevonshireParticipant @rickdevonshire]

One further question.

Is it possible to trace the original corresponding article from the Model Boats plan number?

It could prove helpful when constructing some of the handsom model craft published over the years by our icon magazine.

Rick.

[Paul FreshneyParticipant @paulfreshney24971]

I have no idea of which issue BM1459 was in. It is not listed as having been a free plan, therefore is not on my free plan issue list. ‘BM’ suggests it was in the bi-monthly R/C boat Modeller,  production of which has long ceased, It may well have been a feature plan (ie had to be bought).

With regard to Rick Devonshire’s query, the answer is no, unless someone has copies of Model Boats and R/C Boat Modeller going back to year dot and has the time to trawl through them.

Since I have been Editor, feature plans (ie ones you have to buy)  have had the month of first publication printed on them, so a purchaser in 30 years time will be able to know which was the relevant issue.  Current free plans have the month of issue in a footer line, which is retained even when they go into the ‘to purchase’ sector. 

Basically all the current information I have is as in the digital back issues.

Paul Freshney

Editor of MB. 

[Rick DevonshireParticipant @rickdevonshire]

Maybe this idea will prove to be impossible….but if sufficient numbers of subscribers would be willing to make a contribution……it may just work:-

I suggest an attempt is made to construct a chronological list of plans and their corresponding publication editions over the years.

How?

 Well there must be many of us who have a few or more MB backnumbers or related publications (I still have a copy of Plans Handbook NO.2 for 1994/95 for instance). Would it be too much to ask all those interested to thumb through their copies and send in details of year, month, plan(s) featured therein, or any other useful identification details. Gradually, over time, collecting snipits of information from our multiple sources, it should be possible to complete this list.

The end result should be a very useful ref. list which would enable members to identify the particular edition of MB they need to locate.

Rick. 

 

[Francis MacnaughtonParticipant @francismacnaughton39461]

Rick,

 

I was thinking along the same lines and am willing to contribute data from my collection which goes back ( but with plenty of gaps) to the 80s.  I was wondering about also doing a contents summary of each MB issue – perhaps a longer term effort if there are enough interested?

 

Francis Macnaughton

[Andy HubbardParticipant @andyhubbard31110]

I like it. I’d be willing to go through what I have and match plans to their issues.

A contents summary would be wonderful but it would be an utterly huge undertaking, nice idea though

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

It may be of help but there is a company that spacialize in old model magazines and they have a  useful  contents date base with front page cover photos of  past  Model Maker from the 1950  on wards , through to the Model Boats   up to 2008 which helps in identifying a particular issue . R/C Modeller and Marime Modeller  plus German , French and Spanish  model magazines are also covered.

If you Google in this it should come up

http://www.payhost.net/modelling/acatalog/Model_Maker.html

 

In resent years it’s proved to be very useful in locating particular  issues relating to articles and plans going back to the 1950s .

Dave Wooley

[Rick DevonshireParticipant @rickdevonshire]

Many thanks for the information, David. For some time now I have beed after the MB article on the Vickers Vedette and managed to drop on the edition I was after, Dec 1975, first try!

Rick.

 

 

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Your Welcome Rick glad to be of help .

Dave Wooley

[Andy HubbardParticipant @andyhubbard31110]

I’ve used that website a few times to buy old mags but I never noticed their search facility before>>

 >>

Brilliant bit of info Mr Wooley>>

[Rick DevonshireParticipant @rickdevonshire]

This web site covers the idea I put forward on 12 th Jan and has already proved useful to me.

Rick.

[Andy HubbardParticipant @andyhubbard31110]

It is very good indeed but it’s not comprehensive, there’s still a few I can’t find on there 

[Francis MacnaughtonParticipant @francismacnaughton39461]

Gents,

 

Since this thread started I have been going through my collection of complete and parts of MB magazines and I have compiled a spreadsheet of all articles relating to the free plans and the plan features when a new plan was announced plus any article that gave a reasonably complete drawing (but not the series like Fighting Fleets and Period Ships).  There are 184 entries spanning virtually the whole life of MB but there must be many gaps because I only kept issues or bits of issues that were relevant to my specific interests, mainly warships.  I can forward this to anyone that wants it but it would be much better if others could contribute towards filling the gaps so that the wider interests are better covered.

 

For Paul Freshney and/or Paul Bishop,

 

If you are interested in incorporating this into the digital archives feel free but my preference is that there might be some way that this should be open to all without subscription.

 

Francis Macnaughton

[Author]

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