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1/72 - Westland Lysander by Dora Wings - released - new Mk.III boxing


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I did some research on the color options provided in the kit, and there seem to be some discrepancies between the instructions and my references.

 

Marking option #2, V9287, is listed as an aircraft of No.161(SD) squadron based in Tempsford, in 1942.

An original photograph of this aircraft can be found in  Aeroplane magazine, September 2012, page 68.

The photograph shows a different color demarcation between the upper and lower colors - the Black starts just beneath the cockpit, not at the bottom of the aircraft:

resized_05a00c4c-efb9-4476-b2e3-84b91986

 

According to the article in Aeroplane magazine, "this Lysander never served with an operational squadron".

 

The all-black option (MA-B, V9367) did see operational service, indeed, with 161. Squadron.

Instructions suggest this aircraft was based at Tempsford AB in 1944.

This interferes with the information in the Aeroplane article, which claims that this aircraft was wrecked on December 17, 1943, on approach to Tangmere from an SOE operation.

 

The Aeroplane article also features an original photograph of V9289 of 357. Squadron in Burma, which seems to be correct related to the instructions.

 

Edited by Roman Schilhart
typo
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4 hours ago, Roman Schilhart said:

According to the article in Aeroplane magazine, "this Lysander (V9287) never served with an operational squadron".

 

Exactly what you'd expect from SOE use ;)

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11 hours ago, Roman Schilhart said:

I did some research on the color options provided in the kit, and there seem to be some discrepancies between the instructions and my references.

Theres five No.161 Squadron Lysander decal options on this DK decals sheet, although the specific serials and dates are not listed. 

 

72075_161sqn%20ZS.jpg

 

Cheers.. Dave 

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17 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Whats the story/info of the bottom Boston/Havoc MA*Z ? It looks like overall grey ? 

Was wondering that as well and if it was grey or silver/natural metal.

 

15 hours ago, Procopius said:

Option #3, MA-G, is the aircraft which carried Noor Inayat Khan, Agent MADELEINE, to France, her death, and a posthumous George Cross. 

Thank you Edward. It's worth remembering the machines we model also had a human story attached to them.

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23 hours ago, Col. said:

Was wondering that as well and if it was grey or silver/natural metal.

 

There is a relevant thread here which might be worth reviving if anyone has further info on this machine. Some say PRU Blue, one might also take a swing with Medium Sea Grey in the absence of better ideas. At least it's reasonably effective both day and night at the sort of heights the A-20 works well at.

 

Edited by Work In Progress
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On 22/12/2019 at 21:06, Rabbit Leader said:

Theres five No.161 Squadron Lysander decal options on this DK decals sheet, although the specific serials and dates are not listed. 

 

 

Very interesting set of decals, with "another" Albemarle, transport Wellington and early Bostons!

Thank you for sharing

Regards

J-W

 

Edited by Julien
dont quote pictures
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14 hours ago, wombat said:

The special duties Lysander with invasion stripes is a bit odd

It does, indeed.  JR codes are 161 (Special Duties) Squadron out of Tempsford but the relatively hi-viz scheme is not their usual thing for groping about in the night with the Lizzie. If you want a wild speculation, perhaps that particular airframe was not one they used for the usual SOE type activities but one dragged out of the back of a hangar somewhere and brought up to SD spec with the big tank and ladder in anticipation of air taxi work across the channel in the immediate aftermath of D-Day for various officer types (which would presumably be daytime ops to Allied-held areas, but still needing to operate off beaches or other unprepared landing grounds)

Edited by Work In Progress
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An index check and skim read yields no mention of invasion stripes. However a Lysander was shot down by friendly fire while flying over the Normandy bridgehead in early July 1944, so it’s conceivable the squadron might have adopted the stripes in response to that?

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Anyone intending to fly over or near the bridgeheads in early July 1944 should have been wearing the stripes already, and we can assume therefore that 161 had been assigned such a duty.for which they were using that specific aircraft. 

 

Of course, simply wearing invasion stripes in no way guaranteed you wouldn't get shot at by friendlies, especially naval friendlies.

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I don’t recall ever seeing stripes on a night-schemed aircraft though, which is why it caught my eye. Also just noticed it’s on fuselage only, which is another oddity.

 

no detail of which aircraft was the one lost though it squadron records exist it might be there.

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On 12/28/2019 at 7:58 PM, wombat said:

I don’t recall ever seeing stripes on a night-schemed aircraft though, which is why it caught my eye. Also just noticed it’s on fuselage only, which is another oddity.

 

no detail of which aircraft was the one lost though it squadron records exist it might be there.

Hi Wombat,

 

Not a Lysander, but some Albemarles and Stirlings had stripes.  Does the BC finish count as a night finish?  Some Mossie intruders had stripes, which is a similar scheme to the Lizzie. Also didn't some all-black Swordfishes and P-61s have stripes?  

 

Regards

 

Martin

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Mushroom's Westland Lysander by James Kightly has a contemporaneous picture of JR-P documenting fuselage stripes but no wing stripes. The caption reads:

Quote

The only known Special Duties Lysander III to wear black and white invasion stripes on the fuselage but not on the wings. The actual serial has been overpainted leaving the red codes JR-P denoting No.161 Squadron A flight. It was generally flown by Flying Officer 'Lucky' Newhouse whose story is contained in the text. (via R.L.Ward)

 

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3 hours ago, dnl42 said:

Mushroom's Westland Lysander by James Kightly has a contemporaneous picture of JR-P documenting fuselage stripes but no wing stripes. The caption reads:

 

 

I managed to get my name in the acknowledgements of that book. A definite high point in an otherwise unexceptional existence.

 

 

 

Chris

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