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Lysander IIIA SD, 161 Squadron


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I’ve got an affection for the Lysander, one picked up my grand father after he got left behind at Dunkirk. I also watched a Fw190 gun camera film on YouTube the other day and it caught a Lysander over the channel, it was a difficult watch i put it off and it’s still stuck in my mind. 

Looking forward to seeing this in the gallery 

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  • 2 weeks later...

@Valkyrie, wow, that's quite a connection!

 

I've been researching the cockpit and particularly the rear cockpit.  I've got most of the cockpit bits ready to assemble, but I have some outstanding issues to resolve.

JRP-cockpit-bits0.jpg

 

I found an image of a radio mounted in the rear cockpit.

Mushroom-radio-tray.png

On the one hand, this sliding radio tray looks nothing like the kit's radio platform; on the other hand, the RX is an R1155 unit, which is exactly what is identified in We Landed By Moonlight and provided in the kit. Corresponding with the owner of GN4CE's Greenradio site, there are 2 problems: (1) that RX was usually carried in Lancasters and other large multi-engine aircraft and (b) the companion T1154 TX is substantially larger--so large, it's unlikely to have fit in the Lysander. I'm fairly certain the R1155 above was placed into the restored Lysander because it was available and looked the part. As a side issue, the above photo erroneously claims the radio is a TR-9D, which could actually be quite appropriate, but looks nothing like the above.

 

To make the replacement sliding radio tray shown below, I cut some 5 mil Al sheet into strips, folded them into C channels, and then cut some 0.02 in Evergreen sheet. Hm, that tray fits exactly into the rear cockpit space and the kit radio part is actually pretty close to the actual size of the R1155 (16 7/8 inches actual v. 17.28 kit for ~0.01" in 1/48 scale). Yet, the shelf and radio proportions are quite a bit off. Oh well...

JRP-cockpit-bits1.jpg 

 

My next problem is the rear cockpit floor. Again, 2 problems arise. Photos show the floor spanned from longeron to longeron, but the kit part doesn't. That was easy enough to address with some 0.02 in Evergreen sheet cut as shown below left. Another photo from the restored Lysander above shows the cockpit floor coated with shellac or varnish. But, I can't find any contemporaneous photos suggesting any wooden parts were clear coated. I'm thinking that Interior Green is more appropriate. Your opinions are most welcome!

JRP-cockpit-bits2.jpg

Above right is the yet unpainted rear cockpit upper deck, which mounts the observer's gun in an armed Lysander. I need to either remove those molded-on bits from the deck or lose the deck all together. Again, your opinions are most welcome.

 

Next, images from the Pilot's Notes show what appears to be a "scissor jack" mechanism to raise and lower the pilot's seat. Eduard provided some PE that suggested more of a non-adjustable "A" frame. I cut another strip of 5 mil Al to form something resembling a scissor jack. The Pilot's Notes also showed the footplate was drilled out. Some drills and reamers made short work of that. That leaves the control column. As I was dry fitting the control column and seat, they appeared to interfere quite badly. Looking at the Pilot's Notes, I noticed a dog-leg in the control column, so I bent up the resin control column to better fit, but that's not quite visible below. I also added a strip of 5 mil Al for the brake control and parking lever on the front side of the control column.

JRP-cockpit-bits3.jpg

 

Once I figure out the rear cockpit floor and upper deck, I can assemble the cockpit.

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8 hours ago, dnl42 said:

I need to either remove those molded-on bits from the deck or lose the deck all together. Again, your opinions are most welcome.

 

I'd go with removing them as they'd probably be unnecessary weight.

 

 

I did something very similar with the pilots seat in my build

 

For the rear floor, I used a coffee stirrer stained dark'ish brown and then distressed it later in the build.  Remember I was doing a MKII though so it may have been different.

 

P6230018.JPG

 

It's possible since that was intended as a passenger compartment that it was painted with some kind of non-slip agent?

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@Valkyrie, @Basilisk, and @hendie, thanks for your comments!

 

1 hour ago, hendie said:

I'd go with removing them as they'd probably be unnecessary weight.

OK. I thought about removing the deck is to facilitate fast egress from the aircraft. But, that deck would support shear loading, so perhaps it is best to leave it on.

 

1 hour ago, hendie said:

For the rear floor, I used a coffee stirrer stained dark'ish brown and then distressed it later in the build.  Remember I was doing a MKII though so it may have been different.

 

P6230018.JPG

 

It's possible since that was intended as a passenger compartment that it was painted with some kind of non-slip agent?

Hm, hadn't thought about a non-slip agent. In the Mustang, the cockpit floor was black. I'll ponder this, and either go with wood--as you and the restored aircraft agree--or black with scuffing... 

 

Thanks! 

 

 

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I was hoping to complete the cockpit this weekend, but didn't quite make it. At least the rear cockpit is done. I put a wood finish on the floor with Mr Color C45 Sail as the base and a mixture of Windsor & Newton Burnt Umber and Cadmium Yellow water color for the grain. While oil paints are easier to work with for this effect, the water color dried quickly. I did try Citadel Agrax Earthshade as suggested elsewhere in this GB, but I didn't get the right effect. The bit of Interior Green represents the an access panel supplied as a bit of PE by Eduard.

JRP-cockpit0.jpg

 

We Landed By Midnight mentions a bench in the rear compartment for operatives being transported. Some Evergreen 0.01 sheet was cut to fit and also painted as above. I used a little more Burnt Umber for a different wood grain tone.

JRP-cockpit1.jpg

 

And here's the last time that R1155 will ever be seen. Not really sure what the radio should have been. Martin @ Greenradio suggested a TR1143 might be appropriate as it included a remote control, which the Lysander did indeed carry per the Pilot's Notes. The TR1143 was also built in the US as an SCR522. It looks nothing like an R1155.

JRP-cockpit3.jpg

 

And here's where I got to this weekend. I need to get the seatbelts done before I'm able to install the seat and the rest of the bits.

JRP-cockpit2.jpg

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@Hewy, thanks! It's not a hard effect to achieve. The key to the grain is a stiff bristle brush for the grain coat; you may need a trip to an art store for an oil brush. Since I used Mr Color as the base, and acrylic as the grain, I was able to wipe away the grain until I got the effect I wanted. You'll probably want to make a test piece with various base and grain colors to see what works best. This plastic cup had multiple bases and grain shades, I used Burnt Umber oil for a much darker grain coat for an Albatros DIII OEF 253.

alb-grain.jpg

 

Once you've chosen a color, you can get different effects depending on how you brush on the grain coat. Since this effort used an oil grain shade, it took about a week to dry. The acrylic I used for the Lysander dried in about 10 minutes.

alb-grained.jpg

HTH

 

Finished the cockpit! I used 0.2mm lead wire for instrument cables. I'm hoping they work out...

JRP-cockpit4.jpg

 

I ended up replacing the resin stick with 0.03in brass rod so I could get a proper dog-leg. The control handle was transplanted onto the new stick.

JRP-cockpit5.jpg

 

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The internal structure and cockpit looks superb , I'm  doing a little bedford qlb truck in brail scale with some mods and pe and I'm going to try the worn wood look on the rear floor, cheers for that

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@Hewy, thanks! A wood finish will look really good in your Bedford! Looking forward to seeing it.

 

As mentioned earlier, I also have the CMK resin and PE detail set, which includes flying surfaces. Looks like CMK missed the inner wing slats, as they only provide outer slats and flaps. The two parts below the wing are the slat per se as well as the wing leading edge beneath the slats.

JRP-CMK-surfaces0.jpg

 

Looks like there are some surface voids on the bottom edges of the slats. I filed and sanded the lower part (port wing) more than the upper part (starboard wing) for a before and during shot.

JRP-CMK-surfaces4.jpg

Given the missing inner slats, I'm thinking of making inner and outer slats from 5 mil Al sheet. I figure that I'll mold the slats on the wings' leading edge before I butcher them. CMK's leading edge beneath the outer slat will be fine. I think I'll be able to reuse the removed leading edge with some additional surgery for the inner slat leading edges.


CMK also provide separate horizontal stabilizers and elevators. CMK got the proper hinge line per fotos and the Haynes book.

JRP-CMK-surfaces1.jpg

 

The plastic parts are symmetrical, with the mounting tabs on the lower half of the parts. The CMK parts are identical, which makes the mounting tab a bit of a puzzle since one is high and the other low. Perhaps I got 2 starboard sets instead of port and starboard?

JRP-CMK-surfaces3.jpg

 

CMK only provides the rudder, so I'd need to cut the plastic bit out. I don't see significant difference between the plastic and resin rudders except the ability to offset the separate rudder. I didn't offset the rudder pedals, so that's no value to me. Time will tell if I use this bit.

JRP-CMK-surfaces2.jpg

 

 

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On 7/12/2019 at 5:46 AM, Dazzio said:

I just wanted to know about the fuel tank.  Is that the same as the paper ones you see on Mustangs or was it a special one for the Lysander?  My kit doesn't have the tank hence the question.

I've been poring over photos looking for slat details and I found that contemporaneous auxiliary tank photo I mentioned earlier. You can see there's a central tank with nose and tail fairings. Another contemporaneous photo in the Haynes book and others shows SDs being fitted out in a Westland hanger; the aircraft on the right of the photo have that nose fairing removed while the aircraft on the left show a shiny nose fairing, as below.

SD-tank-steps-Mushroom.png

 

HTH

-- 

dnl

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The slats are made and I have one wing done! :yahoo:

 

Here is the pattern for the outboard slats, CMK's resin parts, and the 5 mil Al replacements. I molded the slats atop the plastic leading edge of the intact wings. I cut the Al blank slightly under-width to account for that.

JRP-slats0.jpg

 

And here are the inboard slats pattern and Al parts

JRP-slats1.jpg

 

The extent of the slat is larger on the upper surface than the lower surface.

JRP-slats3.jpg

 

I then cut the molded slats and flaps from the port wing

JRP-slats4.jpg

 

The upper wing needed a bevel to properly fit the flap. A couple minutes with the edge of a #11 blade fixed the problem.

JRP-slats7.jpg


I used the cut-off plastic leading edges to form the inboard under-slat leading edge. Once glued together, they formed an approximation of the parts CMK made for the outboard slats.

JRP-slats10.jpg

 

Some thinning was needed to create an inset for the 5 mil Al slats. Once suitably thinned, I was able to assemble the port wing. Some filler is yet needed.

JRP-slats12.jpg

 

The slats fit well! At least I'll know they fit well as they'll be fully deployed on the model, which is the common configuration per contemporaneous photos.

JRP-slats11.jpg

 

Now to repeat the whole process on the starboard wing. I probably won't get any more building time until next weekend.

 

Edited by dnl42
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@Robert Stuart and @limeypilot, thanks! This model really does need slats to look the part on the ground. It's odd CMK only provided the outboard slats. But it turns out making the slats themselves from the Al sheet was quite easy. The hard part is the inset leading edge. While it took some time and effort, I'm quite happy with the result. I'll be far more inclined to add slats to future models now that I've done this once. 

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@Hewy, thanks! I'm quite pleased with the result. Each wing took a few hours to get the leading edge right, but it's well worth it.

 

And the other wing is done.

JRP-slats13.jpg

 

Here's my raw 5 mil Al sheet. These are the seals from cans of Costco's Kirkland coffee. The coffee is quite good. :thumbsup:

JRP-slats14.jpg

 

I flatten the dimples with my fingernail, cut with a #11 blade or shears, and then form as needed. While somewhat fragile, the material quite easy to work with. I used this same material to make several parts on my 1/48 HB LCM 3.

JRP-slats15.jpg

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@Robert Stuart, well, there are 2 good reasons, taste and utility!

 

With the slats mostly done, it's time to look at the fuselage. Eduard's instructions claim the fuselage interior sides are Interior Green. Photos show other variations. I need to sort that out... I'm also still thinking about CMK's rudder. I may just cut the bottom of the kit's rudder free so there's a visible gap.

 

Next are the stabilizers, I've found that I apparently have two port-side stabilizers.

JRP-stab0.jpg

 

The horizontal stabilizers' angle of attack can be adjusted while in flight using the control wheel to the pilot's left. There's also a "sealing plate" atop the stabilizers, which the kit molded onto the fuselage side. Here are the kit parts. The sealing plate shape is about right, but there's some bit standing proud of the plate that should be a slot according to photos.

JRP-stab1.jpg

 

And here's the port stabilizer on the starboard fuselage side...not so much...

JRP-stab2.jpg

 

I have two tasks: (1) replace the molded-on sealing plates with plates attached to the stabilizers, and (b) fix the attachment tab on the starboard stabilizer.

Edited by dnl42
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I finished the stabilizer sealing plates.

JRP-stab3.jpg

 

And moved the mounting tab on the starboard stabilizer.

JRP-stab4.jpg

 

I attached the Al plates to the resin stabilizer with Formula 560 Canopy Glue, just as I would for PE. Once the glue cures, I'll add pins in the slots per photos and drawings.

JRP-stab5.jpg

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The fuselage is buttoned up. Some careful work eventually got the fuselage tight and properly aligned. Alignment is critical here as those top tabs support the wings. The upper panels were a little wide, so I had to trim them. The rear panel was easy, but those instrument panels on the cockpit sides precluded the usual approach. In retrospect I should have split the front cockpit top panel at the center into left and right halves so I could thin from the middle to maintain the outside edges.

JRP-fuselage1.jpg

 

Only the rails on the sliding radio shelf are visible. The slot and holes in the rear bulkhead were opened per photos. Careful fitting of the fuselage mating edges minimized seams. I finished off remaining seams with medium CA applied carefully with an applicator. After 30m to 1h--but no more--I shaped the hardened CA with 2-, 4, and 6-cut files and finished them off with polishing pads. My goal is for the seam to be barely visible if at all. A light swipe with a JLC saw repairs panel lines that cross the filled seam.

JRP-fuselage0.jpg

 

The wing mount tabs didn't quite fit into the wing slots, but a 2-cut knife-shaped needle file sufficiently opened the tapered slot.

JRP-wingslots.jpg

 

I tried just slitting the rudder bottom from the fuselage side, but I wasn't happy with it. I then removed the kit's rudder from the tail with the intention to use the CMK part. Not the best fit.

JRP-rudder0.jpg

 

Back to the kit parts! I glued them together and put a slight rounding on the hinge line.

JRP-rudder1.jpg

 

Also visible in this picture just above the stabilizer mounting slot is a 0.02in brass rod. It fits into the slots I cut in the stabilizer sealing plates.

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