This response will most likely not make me too popular here.
I was the one who contacted Outerzone and asked that the plan for my RD-1 design be taken off their site. The RD-1 was published in Flying Models magazine, and is the still the property of that plans service. It is also an intellectual property. Neither Flying Models nor I see a dime from the release of that drawing, and that my friends is theft.
There is entirely too much of this going on throughout our hobby. Those who produce designs and those who publish said designs are entitled to a return on their work/investment. In the case of Outerzone, the plan PDF is free, and those who download it can then take the PDF on disk to Staples or some other printer and have a copy made from which they can build. Does that seem fair to the designer, and/or the owner of the plan? This is a hobby, and many do not realize that for some it is a livelihood. Where would we be without the producers/sellers of engines, balsa, batteries, fuel, etc.? Are those who toil to produce designs any less deserving of an income from their work?
I was the editor of Flying Models magazine for 17 years, and during my tenure there I strove to publish as many CL Stunt models as possible. Some years after I left that post the magazine ceased publishing, but the owner of the magazine continued to offer the many plans that had been published over the years through the internet. Is he not deserving of a return on his investment? I don't receive a nickel for any of the plans of models that I designed from the FM plan service; they belong to the new owner.
I offer several plans for my original design models for sale through Robin's View Productions. Think how I would feel if those plans were being offered in PDF form by another entity for free. I know, I know, I know, "It's only a hobby." But it is how I make a good portion of my living. Without product there would be no hobby. Those who produce the stuff we use to build our models have devoted their lives to making those necessary items available; they deserve an income from their work just as someone who works in the "real world" deserves an income. This seems hard for many to understand.
For the record, the RD-1 plan is available from the Flying Models Plan Service at:
https://store.flying-models.com/catalog/I'll get a lot of negative responses from this post I'm sure. To those who don't agree with the above, well, that's tough. There are many of us who have spent our entire lives giving to this hobby/sport in many ways, and we have made very little for our efforts. Yes, the choice to serve the hobby industry was ours; no one held a gun to our head's and made us stay in this line of work. I can't speak for the others, but in my case it was a labor of love, and I tried to give far more value than that for which I was paid. I also have tried to give out as much information for free as possible. I don't believe that information is something I should sell; I benefitted from the help of others throughout my career and now I feel it is a responsibility to pass along that information, and any new information that I have gleaned over the years to anyone who will but ask. I have many PDF manuals that are well illustrated and cover a variety of building subjects. I'll continue to offer those and any new ones for free. But, the products and intellectual properties (plans) that I produce are for sale. I like to eat and keep warm...
In continued service to the hobby - Bob Hunt
Topic: Prowler is coming along...... (Read 12346 times)
