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[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

The 2012 Plan Features Special issue has now been uploaded to the Digital Archive. Some classic articles here including Dave Metcalf's Celia Jane Thames Barge.

Colin

 

Edited By Colin Bishop on 29/09/2022 09:58:51

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Colin

Once again thank you. You may have noticed that you are now over half way through the Specials & on the home run.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Thanks as well Colin, some interesting reading.

Chris

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

2013 has gone it for processing. Just 2015 now. 2014 was a bookazine edited in house and I don't have the material.

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

2013 Special now uploaded!

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

2013 issue is now availableon the Digital Archive.

2015 issue now sent off for processing.

In reconstituting the files I have been quite impressed with the quality of material included in these issues. OK, a lot of it was 'from the MB archives' but many people will not have seen it before and there is a huge amount of practical advice in modelmaking techniques which illustrates the depth of expertise in our hobby.

It's just rather sad that a number of the most valued contributors are no longer with us but the consolation is that their expertise lives on. Brian King, Paul Freshney, Dave Milbourn and Richard Webb all come to mind as a great loss to the hobby.

Personally I am glad I was given a free hand to edit these issues and, looking back, I am pleased with the way they turned out.

Colin

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Colin

I agree about the Specials being good. The articles that they have included are interesting and as you say some were written by the legends. I would include Vic Smeed in your list.

Given the lengthy history of the magazine there was obviously the potential to do more. Pity they didn't.

Chris

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Chris,

You have an interesting take on where the articles come from when you mention "They" in reality it is "us" because without contributors producing material for the magazine it would only be adverts.

It has to be the late great Vic Smeed had such an output of designs because he was editor of Model Boats or Aeromodeller at the time and he worked very hard at it, but it was his job. I have a copy of the Vic Smeed special from a few years back

So I would suggest you help by putting an article together to support the old magazine, I can say this with a clear conscious as I've had 15 designs published so far with more to come Food for thought maybe ?

Regards Ray

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Chris, the Specials were a marketing exercise between MTM and WHS. Regular editor Paul Freshney didn't want to do them as they were cut price low budget editions.

I was offered the chance to take them on and saw them as an opportunity to showcase some of the rich history of the magazine. It was a labour of love really and I tried to deliver as much variety as possible under the constraints imposed. It wouldn't have been possible had I not been willing to work for peanuts.

Publishers are not really interested in the past, only in current revenue earning. It is only the modelling enthusiasts who value the historical published material.

For the 60th Anniversary edition I had direct contact with Vic Smeed. He was very gracious but disappointed that the edition did not emphasise the work he had done in promoting the hobby abroad via NAVIGA which he saw as his greatest achievement.. Unfortunately the reality was that readers by then were no longer interested in the glory days of iinternational competition. Things move on and not always fot the better but you have to accept that if you are preparing something that will sell in the current environment and my Specials all sold pretty well thanks to the quality of the original material.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 29/09/2022 21:01:18

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Now pleased to report that the 2015 issue is up and it is very much a Vic Smeed special with the keynote item being Tonly Hadley's article on Vic and which includes a list of his boat designs. Enjoy!

Colin

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Thank you, Colin

It was a real pleasure to write the item for you. Some good help was provided by yourself, Vic's wife and family. The modellers I spoke to said they enjoyed the late Dave Milbourn's updated design and build of Vic Smeed's "Twinkler". Your article on WW1 Monitors was very interesting and the build of the WW1 Monitor, HMS M15 by the late Paul Freshney was a superb piece of model making.

As you rightly say "Enjoy", it was a very good Special Edition.

Tony

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Thanks Tony, yes, it is us modellers who are 'keepers of the flame'.

Colin

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