Westland Lysander
 

Does anyone make a kit of the Westland Lysander ?

Building the plane from plans has only one BIG problem - the greenhouse canopy/windshield. I do not have the necessary skills (or patience) to carve a plug to have someone make this part.

If a kit is available, I would prefer it to be a 60 size (or 46 size) plane.

Thanks.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

The canopy and greenhouse on a Lysander would not be pulled from a plug, it would (or should, IMHO) be built-up much the same way the greenhouse is best done on a Piper L-4.

The polycarbonate window material can be ordered online for chump change.

EDIT : If you manage to come up with a set of plans, there's a version of the Lysander I've always thought interesting . . . photo 4. The beast was a model P-12 and was loaded with guns for strafing beaches, when the Brits thought the Nazis might try to invade. If nothing else, figuring out the CG should be "fun".

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Here is a link to some plans for an 81" span Lysander. It is not the one in the photo though. I sent an email asking about the canopy, cowl and pants availability - waiting for a reply.

http://www.bhplans.com/db1.htm

RE: Westland Lysander
 

I don't know, maybe it's me but I always put the Lysander near the top of the "worst looking airplanes" list. That usually put it near the bottom of the "planes to build" list.
I have a uncle who flew them here in Canada during WWII as a target tug for traing training, and he thinks they are "handsome".
Am I missing something?

RE: Westland Lysander
 

The Lysander is indeed handsome. It has a lot more style than is necessary, and it's a truly fussy airframe with lots of details which make the aircraft look like it won't stay in the air. The 1:1 was a very good flyer with STOL capability - lots of clandestine missions into occupied Europe started with a parachute drop from a Lysander, and a great many of the returning mission operators were retrieved from enemy territory by Lysanders.

The A-10 is a handsome aircraft, and plenty fussy with details. By comparison, the F-16 looks like something stamped out with a giant cookie cutter.

OTOH, most of the truly ugly aircraft are shown [link=http://www.popularaviation.com/UgliestPlane.asp?Page=1]here.[/link] The Farman, Twin Colt, and Boeing's JSF entry are right at the top of the list IMHO.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

I guess I am a "little off" :D I like unusual and rarely modeled planes. I guess that is why my hanger has a Transavia PL-12 Airtruk (Sky Farmer ), FW-56 and a Bellanca Airbus in it.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

"Off" is good. Building models just like all the other models at the flying site has is boring.

The problem for me is not having the skills to scratch build what I want, like a Sikorsky S-39 or a Supermarine Walrus.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

What I have found is that if I can find a set of plans for a plane I like, I can usually build it.

If you haven't checked out Cleveland Models, you should. http://www.clevelandairline.com/

Their plans are designed for free flight rubber, however most of them can easily be converted to glow or electric RC with very few problems. As I said, the primary problem I have with some of the planes is the canopy. The planes I do are usually 46 - 60 size.

BTW- Cleveland has an S-38 plan, an S-6B and a Sirius plan if those are of any help

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Looked at Cleveland a long time ago, and thought that while their premium designs were indeed accurate, the conversion from small rubber to giant gas is a good bit of work

The S-38 is ugly-cute, alright, but the S-39 is just plain goofy and real fussy with details.

BTW - in the just plain ugly airplane category, [link=http://www.enginehistory.org/10A.jpg]this [/link]Polish single-engine jet crop-duster has gotta be a contender !!!

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Well, I went and did it. Bought the plans and a laser cut short kit. According to a gentleman from the UK, the Dennis Bryant plans build really light. He feels that I should have no problem with the Saito 82 for power considering the light build, plus the fact the plans were initially designed for a bushed bearing 60.

I sure hope the plans are better than the Monocoupe 90A plans I bought. The Monocoupe plans require me to to relocate the OS 46FX about 1" back from the original location. (mods to the fuselage from the windsheild forward, plus firewall, plus tank mounting/location, plus cowl, plus, plus, plus :D

The original location shows a McCoy "Custom" 35 Redhead. That engine has to have THE SHORTEST crankcase of any engine I have seen. I have an old (ancient is actually a better description) Fox 29 bushed bearing engine, and the crank case on that is about 3/8" longer than the engine shown on the plans.

Oh well, the FUN :eek: of building from 40 year old designs is half the enjoyment [:'(] (So much for a "nice, simple build" )

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Hopefully Dennis Bryant draws good plans. I have not seen them but Bob Holman deals in quality. The Lysander is a beautiful plane! I just can not get excited about the usual P-51 etc. They are as plentiful as trainers. I just ordered plans for a FW-189 from VTH in Germany. Its to big for my truck so I will have to reduce the plans and change all the balsa dimensions but it will be worth the effort. Looks like the green house on this one will be a challenge also.

Carl

RE: Westland Lysander
 

The Dennis Bryant plans are VERY detailed. While I consider myself "a reasonably experienced builder", I feel I will be "put to the test" with this one.

I guess it's one way to find out exactly how "reasonably experienced" I really am. :D

Ordered the additional wood I am going to need. Now just waiting for it to come in.

Before ordering the wood, I decided to inventory what I did have. I surprised myself after sorting everything out. I really didn't need that much at all - basically stuff like maple motor mounts (I haven't done maple motor mounts since my C/L days back in the early 60's), some 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" balsa sheets and some sitka spruce for the canopy frame.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Good luck with your project.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Well, I KNOW it's different (thats why I chose it :D ). As for the "challanges", hopefully I am up to it [:o] . I will know in a little while when I start on her.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Campy

Toronto is only a 9 hour drive for you. When you get to the detail part, come up and see the Warplane museum here (Hamilton). There's a Lysander being restored. Should be able to get more detail pictures that you'll know what to do with. And speak to some of the volunteers there. I believe, some may be former Lysander pilots.
Good luck with your plane- it's just not my cup of tea.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Thanks for the info on the museum/restoration. I will talk to the wife and see if she wants to go up for a couple of days.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Any chance you might take a digital camera if you do get permission to go ?

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Nice project...good luck.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Oh YEAH !! The wife gave a HEARTY OK to going (I have a hunch I am going to have a big shock when the CC bill comes in [X(] ). I have a DiMage 6 mega pixel with the 12x zoom. I have a 512 meg and a 1 gig card for it so I should have enough room for plenty of photos (380 pics on the 1 gig alone )

I plane to go up around the middle to the end of June. I sent them an email requesting permission to get into the restoration area and take photographs of the plane, just in case the restoration area is "off limits".

RE: Westland Lysander
 

I hope you enjoy your trip to TO.
There is also an aircraft museum at Downsview Airport in Toronto you may be interested in.
www.torontoaerospacemuseum.com
Also, at the end of June is the Canadian Aviation Expo, more of the full scale stuff, but usually there's a few RC displays.
http://www.canadianaviationexpo.com/

Have fun and please spend lots of money. (pretty blatant, eh?)

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Ah ! I manage to make off with the Maxxum 9D while they were still in production. Lets me use all the autofocus lenses I already had for my film body. I tote a laptop and stuff the photos on the hard disk or CDs if I run out of memory cards.

Be glad to pay for the cost of snagging a CD when you've had time to get the album laid out.

BTW - Flying Scale Models (www.modelactivitypress.com) has a photo CD on the Lysander.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Fred,
There is one here at Sun n Fun also.. Belongs to Kermit Weeks.. It is in the "A" hanger.

Jim

RE: Westland Lysander
 

I'm planning on flying in a few events down your way next year. Hafta build in some time to wander by the museum.

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Here's a link to a web site that might wet one's appetite! I have a set of plans for the Lysander by Frank Mizer. This has a wing span of 87.5 inches so is just under 1/6 scale. I had Laser Lizard laser cut a short kit for me, but I haven't started on it yet, and I doubt if I will for some time. Too many other projects ahead of this one. I plan to use a desert color scheme. I bought an Elite Forces pilot ready to go in, and he is in desert colors too. As the pilot sits ahead of the C.G. I don't care that he isn't one of those pilot's who weighs a few ounces.

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazin...l_lysander.htm

Cheers, Dean. ;)

RE: Westland Lysander
 

Got back from Hamilton, Ontario Saturday night. Went to the Canadian War Plane Museum there. They have a Lysander that is 95%+ restored.

Once I explained that I was building a model of the Lysander, they let me behind the ropes to take all kinds of photos. I have detailed photos of the instrumet panel, cockpits, hatches, etc. About 65 - 70 photos in all. These people went all out to help. Now all I need to do is sort them, add notes as needed, print them out, and some time to do it in.

A couple of interesting points on this plane that are not shown in photos of other Lysanders:

Just in front of the vertical stab (fin ) there are 2 access hatches with round windows about 5" in diameter. Inside the hatches are 2 rods that have weights on them. According to the restoration people, when a person was picked up/dropped off from a "mission" weights were added/removed from the rods to compensate for the person's weight. The person was carried lying down under the rear cockpit seat.

The other item I noticed was the fuel tank. The other photos of Lysanders I have seen show the fuel tank going all the way to the top of the greenhouse canopy. The tank in this plane is even with the bottom of the windows in the canopy. The restoration people said the fuel tank going all the way to the top of the greenhouse was not correct. For added range they used an external drop tank.

Except for items needed to let it legally fly (radios, fuel tank dump valve, etc ) and conversion of the brakes from pneumatic to hydraulic, the plane is 100% correct for a Lysander target tow plane as used by Canada circa 1943.