THE AEROMODELLER INDEX PROJECT

Thank you for responding to my letter in the BMFA magazine and other sources.

If you wish to take part in this project please contact Colin Usher at a_c_usher@yahoo.co.uk stating how many years indexes you would be prepared to complete, I suggest 2 max to start with. What issues of Aeromodeller you possess and in what format you can supply the results. Microsoft Excel is to be preferred but .csv or some other spreadsheet may be acceptable.

I will supply you with a dummy spreadsheet with one months index completed, so you can then follow the format as laid down. Clearly it is VITAL that everyone follows the same field headings otherwise the result is chaos. This collaborative method has worked as my existing Model Engineering Indexes demonstrate. The MEW Index was completed in about 2 months as a collaborative effort and has been kept up to date ever since. Trying to Index 60 or so years on your own is next to impossible and could take years. I have it on good authority that no comprehensive free Aeromodeller Index currently exists so this will indeed be a first and you will not be wasting your time. It has been suggested that we do other Model Aircraft Magazines, but lets get this one done first !! As I state in my letter this is to be done on a no profit basis and the completed index will be published on my web site free of all charges for private use. My integrity in this matter can be gauged by the Model Engineering Indexes that have been available for some years. One of the first respondants has made available a 100% complete set of Aeromodeller's so if we can get the bulk of the indexes completed any gaps can be filled in. The initial data input may seem a bit comprehensive but you only do it once. We cannot go back and do some parts again, it must be right first time. There is no second chance. Better to take 2 weeks and get it 100% correct than rush it and get it 80% right. Spelling is vital. If we spell Bristol Aeroplane as Bristol Aeroplain no one will ever find the entry. If you require any further information please contact me by e-mail or Tel: 01925 602 759

A copy of the letter as sent to the BMFA is given below. A copy was also sent to the editor of AMI but has brought little response as yet.

This letter will soon be published in the BMFA News with the kind permission of the Editor, Eric Clark

Dear Sir, It occurred to me recently that there has never been (to the best of my knowledge) a serious attempt to index all the back issues of the Aeromodeller magazine. This is a vast archive of early Aeromodelling history & technology as it was the only British magazine for years covering this subject. Without a decent index the contents are as good as lost. What you cannot find, you do not have. I have sent the following request to the editor of AMI but it so far it seems to have received a cool response as I have not had a reply. Perhaps you may care to publish it in a few issues of BMFA News to see if there is an interest in this project. BMFA News probably reaches more serious "Aeromodellers" than any other similar publication.

"Would anyone interested in a project to produce a definitive index for the entire collection of "AEROMODELLER" please contact Colin Usher at a_c_usher@yahoo.co.uk or tel: 01925 602 759 for full details. Each participant would be required to index 1 or 2 years magazines (takes about 30 mins per magazine) to a set layout, and using the Internet, combine these into a single volume. This co-operative method has already been used successfully to compile the Model Engineers' Workshop Index which can be seen at www.colinusher.info so the method does work and produces results in a fraction of the time required by one individual working alone, now becoming an almost impossible task. Thank You for your possible participation. Colin Usher, Appleton , Cheshire . Background Information Some years ago I decided to compile an index of the magazine "Model Engineers' Workshop" and via the Internet the help of about 20 model engineers worldwide was sought. After deciding who had what issues, each participant compiled a number of indexes to a set format and these were combined into a single Excel Database. The index was completed in about 4 weeks and I have continued to update it on a monthly basis it ever since, together with Model Engineer and Engineering in Miniature. These indexes can be seen at www.colinusher.info, just go to the Magazine Index Section. As you can see these indexes are very comprehensive and include as much detail as possible on the total magazine content, Editorial, Readers Letters etc. If the above advert attracts enough replies I can get this up and running almost at once. The index will be produced for private use only, free of all charges, and will not be used by me for commercial gain.

Regards Colin Usher Appleton