Esci Sherman

Esci kit 8028 M4 Sherman in Russian markings. Not my best work, but serviceable.

Hot Wheels Bizarro

 I've recently leaped into collecting Hot Wheels. Another childhood toy that I remember fondly. Spent many hours building highways out of blocks or roads in the front flowerbeds. While I have some vintage pieces, I'm happy to collect newer toys. This is the Hot Wheels Bizarro.

From the box: "The Bizarro fuses the best design concepts of the '50s with custom touches such as exposed headers, cool cockpit and radical roll bar. This classic cruiser is a blast from the past with Larry Wood's special touch of class."

In the background is the HO scale station by Plasticville.

Basement Bessie

In honor of the 98th Indianapolis 500 held today, some photos I snapped while passing through the Indianapolis Airport. Photos taken at the Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal.

The Russo-Nichels Special, affectionately known as Basement Bessie. A good synopsis of its history can be found here: http://speedwaysightings.wordpress.com/2007/05/26/the-russo-nichels-special-aka-basement-bessie/

Although I grew up in Indianapolis, I am not really a racing fan. Didn't find out until I was writing this post that the car, indeed built in a basement, was fabricated in Hammond, IN, not far from where my wife grew up.

Dinky 1/72 scale Panther

Picked this up at a local antique shop for $8. Diecast Panther tank, at around 1/72 scale, made by Dinky. Nice addition to my German forces.

Wienermobile sighting

On a recent trip to Wal-Mart on a hunt for Hot Wheels I was delighted to see the Wienermobile on tour. I've seen the one displayed at Henry Ford Museum, and have passed versions on the road a couple of times, but this was the first time I got to see the current version up close. 

Indiana War Museum - Architectural Models

Indiana War Memorial. Among the artifacts on display are some architectural models.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Located in the center of the city, it's a lovely focal point. Lady Victory is facing due south to keep eternal vigilance over the old Confederacy. The surrounding buildings around the monument are, by ordinance, shorter than the monument so as not to diminish its glory. 

Easy Model KV-1

From Wikipedia: The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks were a series of Soviet heavy tanks named after the Soviet defense commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov and used by the Red Army during World War II. The KV series were known for their extremely heavy armour protection during the early part of the war, especially during the first year of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

Easy Model, a couple of years ago, released a series of KV tanks. Not a bad model for the price, and an easy way to augment my Soviet forces.