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Lysander 1:72 Eastern Express/Frog


Hairtrigger

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Just wondering has anyone built this kit and their thoughts?

Always liked the Lysander and couldn't resist this pity it didn't come with the SOE decals, as it has the ladder figures etc.

The canopy and interior not up to much but not that concerned as wanted the canopy closed anyway.

Any good ref links appreciated.

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I built it once. At the time i thought that there was something wrong with  the canopy but I don't remember what it was any more. It can't have bothered me to much as I bought a second one after that.

 

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I built one some years ago, as I have a bit of a soft spot for the Lysander. The kit is old in the sense of its technology but doesn't build up into a poor representation. Go ahead and build it, the hardest part is masking the canopy but that's the same for all Lysander kits in any scale. 

Edited by MilneBay
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Special Hobby have had one listed for some time along with a Fairey Battle, however no news to date. Dirty work at the crossroads methinks.

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I've built it. 

 

There are a few fit problems - most noticeably wings to canopy which definitely needs strengthening. There's some gap filling to be done and there's a step at the rear of the canopy to sort out. You'll need replacement decals of course. 

 

This is what I did at the wing root.

Uxi575ml.jpg

The canopy is so thick you cant really see through it so don't worry too much about internal detail.

 

Its a bit of fun (mostly)

Mark

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Hi Mark

Yes, the canopy does look pretty thick, as you say fun build.   Undecided on version the SOE would be nice, but need the decals. 

Wing attachment method looks the way to go.   Still everything on sprues and just pondering it at present. 

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Another small challenge I found was getting the connections to work between the wings, the wing struts and the undercarriage to the fuselage. That I seem to remember was a fair bit of trial and error along with the 'just do it and hope for the best' approach.

 

The undercarriage needed some brass rod to strengthen the join to the fuselage.

 

And it looks like such a simple aeroplane.

Good luck!

Mark

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Well the sprues have been cleaned and now dry....   Looking closely at this awful lot of flash, just cleaning up the prop and it's like working with soap - dreadful plastic not like Frog in its day. 

Will persevere though...  Since getting back into this hobby haven't binned a kit so far...   

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And if Hairtrigger is set on building an SOE Lysander, the Matchbox kit (though otherwise nice enough) is the wrong mark - a Mk II, with Perseus engine. Mind you, so's the Airfix one and it didn't stop them selling it with decals for a Special Duties aircraft.

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On 10/18/2019 at 5:46 PM, AWFK10 said:

nd if Hairtrigger is set on building an SOE Lysander, the Matchbox kit (though otherwise nice enough) is the wrong mark - a Mk II, with Perseus engine. Mind you, so's the Airfix one and it didn't stop them selling it with decals for a Special Duties aircraft.

AFAIR the visible difference is only in bulges on cowling - the fairings of larger cylineder's heads. 

BTW - the Dora kit is already announced in some shops in Poland but with rather high price of 110 Polish zloty, some 22 GBP pounds. 

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3 hours ago, JWM said:

AFAIR the visible difference is only in bulges on cowling - the fairings of larger cylineder's heads. 

It's not the matter of larger cylinder heads - in fact the heads of Mercury and Perseus are the roughly the same size. The difference is that Perseus uses sleeve-valves, while Mercury has rocker valves that necessitated using of these cowling bulges.

Cheers

Michael 

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If you can, check out:

 

Gibb McCall

Flight Most Secret -Air Missions for SOE and SIS

published by William Kimber & Co Ltd. London 1981

There are also some pictures from Lysander and Hudson.

 

And Check out for Kings visit in Tempsford for inspection the 138. and 161, Squadron on November the 9th 1943.

 

modelldoc

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6 hours ago, Hairtrigger said:

Very informative thanks for the info fellas. 😁 

Did all of the SOE Lizzies have markings?   I can't find a lot of info or detailed pics of them. 

Chris on the book cover you have shown any idea apart from the rondels. 

 

 

There aren't any great photos of SOE Lysanders in the book, but is is a small sized book. 

There are these profiles, for what they're worth.

 

48936571752_a63673942e_b.jpg

 

48936384361_961a752f79_b.jpg

 

 

 

Chris

 

 

 

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