GOODBYE
TO THE WEAKEST LINK ??
Editorial
impressions by Doug Bastin
Since the newsletter began the weakest link has been card image
reproduction, which is rather critical for a postcard-centred publication.
Scanning cards made a slight impression as it took one photocopy out of
the process but the final production still relied on copying scanned images onto
paper. We have done some trials using the June material to test direct printing
from scanned images, with page images being provided to the printer on CD.
On the basis of these trials we have decided to use this method for this
edition – how successful it is will not be known until this edition goes out.
If it works then we will have substantially redressed the imbalance in
picture quality between the print and Web versions, although the latter is still
the only economic way of presenting full colour.
We have
some new members to welcome since
June :-
Scott
Bibby from Australia. Soviet airliners and Russian
airlines
scotty@aeroplane.ru WEBSITE http://www.aeroplane.ru
Paul
Cartlidge. Propellor Airliners. Boeing 727. 8
Lower Works Cottages, Tunstall Rd, BOSLEY Macclesfield SK11 0PB paulkcartlidge@tinyworld.co.uk
Paul is the organizer for the revived Manchester Aviation Collectibles Show in
2003 – see “Cards are Out There”.
Tony Sturgeon. British Military jets.
12 Edgebrook Court, Hollway Rd, SHERINGHAM, Norfolk
NR26 8JN
Leslie Veitch. 23 Traquair park EDINBURGH EH12
7AP Piston Airliners from 1945 + Early British Jets.
There is
also an E-Mail correction for Jack Middlestaedt to jackm-acw@cox.net
These
new members have already been announced on the website news page.
One website feature which did not take off was the quiz – it received a
grand total of one reply, from Geoff Dryden in Canada, which was also the
correct reply, so Geoff gets free membership for 2003.
The quiz has been left open with a free membership still available for
UK/European members.
Turning
to this edition, this one has reverted to being largely self-written, as the stack
of contributions from members has largely dried up. So it is time for the usual plea for contributions. The article on
Salmon military cards attracted two
membership enquiries, so this field needs to be covered, as does the pioneer and
lighter-than-air interest. Meanwhile I
have attempted to provide some military and pioneer interest in this issue.
Unlike
previous publications, the Heathrow Catalogue will not be available in
September. There are basically two reasons
for this :-
-
- to check out how well black and white printing from CD works and use
this to get better quality and reduce costs.
-
- What influence this has on layout
So, of our targets for anniversary year2002, it looks like we may hit the Website, better printing and the Heathrow catalogue. The Website is getting 275 to 450 hits daily at peak times, e.g when there is a new newsletter and around 40 as a creditable average at other times – but we don’t know whether these are members or non-members. Regrettably the December meeting now looks unlikely as no venue has been identified and we would need three months lead time for this to happen this year. So that one is carried forward.
Doug
Bastin
September 2002