I looked at a copy of Fine Scale Modeler at the supermarket today. First time in a long time and man has that mag changed.

There were two interesting armor articles and I have to use the word 'article' here lightly. The articles now seem to be two short parpagraphs and then a couple pages of photos.

I think FSM has become a pciture book or something.

One guy built a tiny (1/148 or something) Tiger I but I couldn't figure it out at all. Was the thing entirely sratch built? It said something abut making tiny photo etch, etc. Maybe this was an April Fools joke? HaHa! Funny...

Wish the old editor were back, the mag is a bummer.

Steve

I agree, the mag has deffinately made some major changes. I found that I had completely read everything remotely interesting in about thirty minutes. What a bummer that was... I wish they'd put more writing in there, I read an article for precisely that, to read an article.

FSM seems to be an a long slide down. The last issue I got (think it was January 05) was a joke to read, there was almost nothing to it. I fell asleep reading it.

Then I joined their online forum. I enjoyed it for awhile but then I noticed a lot of guys were leaving and there wasn't a great deal of posts anymore. When the new design came out and with all this extra and secret forum stuff for suscribers was intruduced I left.

Now I've got a great site to come to now. Thanks Armorama!

The "micro-Tiger" has to be an April Fool Joke. Read the last paragraph, especially the part about him doing a full interior with working breech block and having it done by April 1, 2007.

I won my current subscription in a contest raffle and probably won't renew. I just don't get much out of it anymore.

That 1/285 micro Tiger is indeed Jeff Herne's (Occasional pposter here) April Fools joke.

I let mine Lapse last year after posting... wondering if I should do it... And Man did that make a Flap over on the FSM site... (which I don't even go to anymore.......)

Fine Stale Muddler magazine —

I was a charter subscriber for circa 20 years. What
has happened to that mag reminds me of one of
William Faulkner's books (oh ma' gosh, I hope I've
got the correct author) "The Sound and the Fury". . .
. . . . and no substance . . . no real value . . . .
nothing worthwhile. Lots of glitzy pix and open space
that some call good page layout. I say that space
could be filled with solid journalism, some good
reporting. But getting good stories that are well
written and well edited takes a lot of work. A lot
of back and forth from the contributing writer and the
editor. They've moved away from that and it is a
shame. But I don't see the advertizement pages
growing smaller. The bottom line is making money.
And that is why Kalmbach started the FSM. There
was a need and they saw a way of making money
catering to that need. Sorry, I'll get off my soap box now.

Some of their articles are good, I just ordered and got 6 old back issues the other day and have some good reading, for what I ordered them for. I liked the article on how to make a diorama a couple of months ago using that foam base. I'm still confused as to what the neat tracked tractor was/is in the latest annual because someone mislabeled it...it was not a BM 13 tractor with kayatusha rockets, because I can't find anything on a BM-13 tractor like that at all. A shame as I'd like to build one.
As for the larger advertising sections, well, ya gotta do what makes the money for the mag...they all do or you have no mag. Maybe they don't have enough coming in from subscriptions to offset the cost of running...something has to pay for it if the reader doesn't. I buy it at the LHS for the pics of finished models...I wish they could include a build article and list of materials for every one, but that wouldn't be possible of course...all ya get is this is this model made by so-and-so, and they added what'stheirfaces details.
Luckily we have this site for that....but some of us are greedy and want more!

I haven't bought an issue since 1995 I believe. Not that I felt it particularly was a BAD magazine, I just realized that I was no longer its target reader. I think it is a good vehicle for the returning or beginning modeller. If I were at the hobby shop counter and someone asked for a good basic magazine, I don't think I'd hesitate to recommend FSM.

Frankly, most readers of Armorama, ML, TL and other more advanced modelling websites would probably find FSM quite boring or irrelevant.

That's why an advertisement for a compact sporty car, aimed at a 22 year old college grad, doesn't do a thing for me either. I'm sadly more interested in the mini-van with features for making hauling around the kids more interesting -- it's just what phase of life you're in. I would assume that most of us here are pretty devoted into the hobby and are looking for inspiration, cameraderie, historical research and very up to date modelling info.

FSM can no longer be that source for the modelling community but I hope it continues to be successful in its niche.

Roy
(who still prowls the FSM website -- dispensing my so-called "wisdom")

I have been a subscriber for a lot of years as well. I still look forward to it every month. It gives me a chance to check out subjects I would not have seen otherwise. Being primarily an armor and diorama guy, I really enjoyed the Saturn V article this month. Actually would buy that kit with the AM stuff and build it if I had the room.
Sure, I look at the new releases and think "I knew about that a month ago" but that is the nature of the information age.

As a general all-around scale modeling magazine, I think it does a good job.

Shaun

Long time subscriber myself (going back to the 80s) and I too notice it is getting pretty light on content. When my subscription runs out this time I may drop it and pick up something else.

Now my biggest concern is MMIR... or the lack of it. Seems like my paid subscription is netting me about 1 issue a year the last couple of years... Anyone got any idea what is up with them?

I --- now hang onto your hats---- actually went out and bought it just to see Jeff's Joke.
Maybe I'll buy next years to see what he comes up with.

There use to be an Auto Magazine that did an April Fools issue each year, turned out to be the most popular issue because the April Fools were so well done and subdued it actually became a contest to find them.

Eric-Mind you, I'm writing this only after my 2nd cup of coffe today, but I'm patiently awaiting a "hoped up Minivan" build so I can have something to shoot for on the real thing....do they make 1:1 scale PE and resin parts?! :-) ...I'm going for more coffee now....

What did the tractor look like? An agricultural one like this

http://www.modelsforsale.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=122653

or a tank hull?

I agree that it is a good entry-level magazine and therefore has a valuable place in the modeling world. As an armor modeler, there are many more substantial magazines available at the local hobby store. MMiR comes to mind, but we are lucky to see more than one issue a year.

All modeling magazines are suffering from jet lag. That is, the internet is sending out news almost instantaneously. Model manufacturers send sites like Perth Military Modeling Site test shots and advance releases. By the time a magazine receives a kit to review and that review goes through the editorial process and gets published, the kit is reviewed, built and on display at a half dozen modeling websites by well established modelers.

I'm not saying that model magazines are irrelevant. The reviews and build up guides are more handy at the workbench than an online review (although you could print those out). I like to keep my magazine collection nearby for reference. Besides, modeling magazines make qualtiy reading material while performing Class 1 downloads.

Drader, same running gear, but had a stub nosed truck cab on it. A really odd looking piece...must be why I like it.

Is it the STZ-5 version on this page?

http://rkkaww2.armchairgeneral.com/galleries/rocketgallery.htm

Not exactly...take the BM-36 cab in the pic right above it, remove the straight hood and radiator, now add the tractor radiator right where the sloped section of the hood{right in front of the windshield} is, and keep the tractor running gear. Actually, the "sloped" section on this pic is angled down to the deck, cab has two fold up windshield{2/3 section on passenger side and 1/3 section on drivers side}, matching flip up armor plate for said windows, and "C,T,A,backwards N,slant centered H, H and F?{where's my glasses!} on the side of the radiator. She's and odd one!

Let me quote what's written on this pic; "Dan converted this 1/35th scale BM-13 tractor into a BM-13-2M Staliniza with Kayatusha rockets." Page 46 of the 2006 FSM great scale modeling annual. My scanner is out or I'd scan it and show it here...sorry.

Yes, it is the STZ version of the BM-13 or vise-versa...

Here is the actual model as built by Dan Tsitonik (sp?) from the 2005 MMSI show in Chicago:



Dan knows his stuff, so if he calls it a BM-13, I trust him.

BM-13 refers to the rockets which are 13cm/132mm diameter. The smaller rockets are the 82mm BM-8, which were also fitted to aircraft for air to air and then air to ground use.

"C,T,A,backwards N,slant centered H, H and F?

spells most of Stalinetz in Cyrillic

Sorry folks, I'm not trying to hog the thread...really. Drader, Pat Keenan on the site here and I have been searching photos and the like trying to figure out what it is to no current success. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it sure isn't readily being found. Possibly a typo on FSM's end or the pic suppliers...maybe a kitbash with some fictional nature...no stones being thrown at anyone there about that if it's the case. I'll google the tractor under Stalinetz...

I've had a subscription for over 20 years. I still get some use out of it. They do a great job on ships, especialy when someone makes one of those 72nd scale carriers. Lots of pics help when you are only doing 350. Like most, I've long since passed their how to articles, but I do love their pictures and enjoy seeing the super-detailed airplane stuff. Tanks, well I see all the 1st rate stuff here.

I pick up the occassional copy of FSM from B & N, but like most have already posted...there is not much substance.

When I was a kid I used to pick Military Modeller, now that was a Great Mag... My faovrite issue was the Kelly's Hero diorama that was featured in there in the late 80's....

Yeah, "BM-13" is the rocket launcher, not the whole vehicle. It looks like a BM-13-16 on some sort of tractor. (The 16 denotes the number of rockets on the BM-13 -- ther ecould be more or less rails). Here's a link to the most famous mount of the BM-13, the Katyusha http://www.o5m6.de/dodge_t203bm13.html