[Planet News] Second Issue of LAUNCH Magazine makes its debut this week

This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------060408020506070108070502 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
NEW YORK CITY, New York USA -- A 5,200-word interview with AeroTech founder Gary Rosenfield, 19 pages of coverage from NARAM-48, and a landmark article on Space Elevator research highlight the November/December issue of /LAUNCH Magazine/, to be released late this week.
The 68-page, full-color issue also includes a step-by-step article on how to upscale the classic Estes Industries Interceptor rocket; a journal from rocket designer Bob Sanford on his 1974 visit to Centuri Engineering; and a look back at classic cluster kits from the 1960s and '70s.
There is also major news in the magazine's What's Hot section: An announcement of the debut of Semroc's Saturn 1B and Little Joe II kits. All this, plus feedback from readers on the Premier Issue of /LAUNCH/.
The November/December issue will be mailed to subscribers beginning late this week and will also be available on selected newsstands around the nation on November 4. But the big news involving newsstand is the magazine's announcement of a newly-signed contract with Source Interlink Companies, which handles national distribution for major retail outlets, including Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hastings bookstore chains. Future issues of /LAUNCH/ are expected to be available at most of those stores.
To subscribe to LAUNCH, visit the magazine's website at http://www.launchmagonline.com /, or in the United Kingdom, visit http://www.rocketstore.co.uk/ online.
Issues will also be available at the Semroc (#1806) and AeroTech (#1711) booths at the International iHobby Expo in Chicago beginning this Thursday afternoon, October 19th. Issues will be provided, as well, to members of the press covering the X PRIZE Cup Expo in Las Cruces, New Mexico later this week. Any retailers wishing to offer /LAUNCH/ in their stores should contact Eric Holton at 239-949-4450, extension 6930.

(snip for brevity's sake)
With this latest flap in the lawsuit over engines, I wonder which magazine will go under first? With it being more difficult to obtain HP propellant/motors it will be more difficult to interest any new BARs to take up the hobby again. A certain group of kids will still do LPR and MPR but I believe there is a risk that HPR will wither and the industries that support it will suffer too. How many magazines are there now? There is the NAR and Tripoli magazines and a couple of others?

LAUNCH is *NOT* a HPR magazine.

Fred Shecter wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
O.K.
I stand corrected. If someone is in NAR and gets the nice NAR magazine what is the chance they'll spend money (especially a kid) on another magazine? I'd be worried about coming out with a rocketry periodical at this time. If the lawsuit would have been over, cripes groups could have advertised heavily to get folks out to launches and created more interest. The big stuff is what gets one's attention. With engine availability iffy for HPR, it will be hard to convince someone to join the hobby if the larger rockets is what interests them.

The guy who 'launched' the magazine explained his target demographic on The Rocketry Forum.
He seemed to know what he was doing and how to market the magazine.
You seem to assume that it will only be marketed and sold to hardcore rocket flyers who will subscribe for delivery by mail.
I don't think that is what he said.
Why don't you contact them and tell them what they are doing wrong and what they should be doing to stay in business?
-Fred (I subscribed) Shecter NAR 20117

Fred Shecter wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
Perhaps there hasn't been much HPR coverage yet, but I believe the publisher intends to have a fair, broad coverage of all hobby rocketry. I mean, they've only got one issue out ... isn't it a little premature to judge the book by its rather new cover?

I was not judging the intended content by the magazine.
I was repeating what I thought the publisher stated FLAT OUT on The Rocketry Forum.
Have you read his statements?
If he has changed his mind since then, I am unaware of that.
http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid (213
"The Rocketry Forum: it's more than a blank white page"
-Fred Shecter NAR 20117

Fred Shecter wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
"We will be an LPR magazine for the most part—and we view ourselves as a complement to Sport Rocketry. We will touch on high power at times, but not in the depth of Extreme Rocketry and Rockets."
This doesn't say there will be no HPR coverage in Launch.

  Quoted Text Here  
NARs magazine is a member benefit, and covers all phases of the hobby. It will not be affected by the lawsuit. Unless the NAR membership takes a nose dive, in which case it will again scale back costs, cut color, etc.
TRA hasn't had a magazine of its own for a decade.
Speaking of which, is HPR magazine still in business, or did they die when finally removed from life support?
LAUNCH seems to be targeted broadly enough that a drop in HPR activity shouldn't hurt it.
If any one suffers, it's likely to be Extreme Rocketry...

On 19 Oct 2006 13:02:39 -0500, kaplow snipped-for-privacy@encompasserve.org.mars (Bob Kaplow) wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
Get with the times Bob. TRA dumped HPR about a year and a half ago. It has been OOP for quite some time now. A little over a year ago,a new TRA Official magazine called Rockets Magazine came into being. I think I just got my 4th issue. I think it's a great magazine. They don't have any of the charastics of ER that I have bitched about in the past.
BTW everything (I remember) related to TRA that you ever complained about is no longer an issue. Its time for you to come back to the dark side. ;-)
Phil

http://www.whyaduck.com/sounds/ducksoup/club.wav

Phil Stein wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
What were your complaints?

On Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:31:40 -0400, "Darrell D. Mobley"
  Quoted Text Here  
Ask me next week or check rmr. I'm leaving for the Red Glare Launch in a few minutes.
Phil

  Quoted Text Here  
I'm well aware of that. Which is why I asked if HPR still existed or if it folded after it was dropped.
  Quoted Text Here  
Actually thought about that recently. More so since HQ is no longer in UT...

On 20 Oct 2006 12:17:05 -0500, kaplow snipped-for-privacy@encompasserve.org.mars (Bob Kaplow) wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
No. Kevin and Deb Trojanowski have taken over HQ. Sorry if I didn't spell the name correctly.
Phil

  Quoted Text Here  
That's what I was refering to.

Kevin and Deb are running HQ!!! Damn, I've been out of the loop way to long, too. 8-)
Mark Simpson
Phil Stein wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  

On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:16:37 -0500, snipped-for-privacy@wowway.com wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
Not only that but TRA has a magazine.
Phil