Just for the Fun of It: Plane Talk
Bill Winter
Recently, Model Aviation announced that Bill Winter had been granted an indefinite leave of absence. Since "Just For the Fun of It" was among the most popular features, and since the magazine and Bill desire to resume the column, we have kept in touch with him.
We are pleased to announce that the column will be resumed, starting with the October issue, but with a modified approach—as you might have surmised from the above heading.
The problem Bill had with the old format was that the feature evolved, in its five-year history, to a 20-fold workload (in terms of time) from its starting point. Bill says the column turned into a "mini-magazine," requiring the maintenance of an office, and he had all but shut off his activity in the hobby. Furthermore, in his words, "I ain't no spring chicken!" More importantly to him, the feature's readers expected high standards, the requirement for which was difficult to sustain. He would not compromise by following simpler approaches often suggested to him.
Bill feels, and we are in agreement, that the paramount interest is in models of all kinds built by readers. That's what the new feature will be all about (obviously requiring your help). To get started quickly, Bill will show his own models in the first few installments and demonstrate the kind of pictures and commentary being sought for the column.
Bill would like to show reader-contributed pictures of their "dream ships" (and related activity photos) and to talk about those planes, using the readers' information on such things as data sources, insights into design, construction, and performance (including problems and cures), and significant specifications. He will add significant commentary where appropriate.
We hope you will like this approach and help contribute to its success right away. Winter asks that you feel free to write him about your models and enclose one or two pictures, chatting about them as you would to other guys at the flying field. Original designs and bright, experimental ideas are especially encouraged.
- Send contributions to: Bill Winter, 4432 Altura Ct., Fairfax, VA 22030.
- The magazine pays $5 for each picture used.
- Reproduction-quality three-views or other artwork may be produced for designs or ideas Winter finds to be of exceptional interest.
We've recommended to Bill that he tell folks he enjoys receiving letters and pictures (especially those useful for the column), but he's just unable to respond to them. Bill has resisted this (that's never been his way of life), but it seems apparent that if the new-concept column is to continue for any length of time, it must not become too burdensome.
Carl R. Wheeley Editor and Publisher
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
