Revell 1/32 Lysander Mk III (SD)

[RichT]

Thanks Martin. The next big bit of scratch building will be to extend the flaps and the leading edge slats, which promises to be an interesting learning experience!

Ooh goody, I was wondering when you'd post some more pics, especially now that I've made a start on mine.

I didn't spot your thread! Great stuff - I've posted some comments over there.

How did you go about making the ballast compartment fit between the fuselage halves?

Trial and error! I made a rough template by putting blu-tack inside while dry-fitting the two fuselage halves, then cut a bit of Xmas card slightly oversized from the blu-tack template. After that, I just kept offering up the card and re-trimming one half of the fuselage at a time until it was a close fit on both sides. Eventually you end up with a card template that you can use for cutting the sheet plastic. Then you start on the other one, which is slightly smaller because the fuselage tapers towards the rear. Once you have cut the sheet (or the card template), you can see how it mates up by temporarily attaching it with blu-tack, dry-fitting the fuselage halves, then peering backwards through the cockpit opening and looking for daylight. A word of advice which is fairly obvious really, but make sure you mark the desired position of each bulkhead so that you're aiming at the same cross-section each time.

With two sheets of the right shape and size, I stuck them to one side of the fuselage, supported by some plastic inserts as you can see in the photo. The compartment floor was fairly easy to cut to size and attach. The whole structure is self-supporting from one side of the fuselage, which again is clear from the photo, although I did attach a horizontal plastic support to the other fuselage half to provide a bit of extra support.

[spitfire23bc]

Trial and error!

I was hoping you'd come up with some super-cool way of measuring it accurately first time. Ah well...

Dan

[AnonymousDFB1]

Nice work

[RichT]

I was hoping you'd come up with some super-cool way of measuring it accurately first time. Ah well...

Smart ideas, me? Why do you think it's taking me so bl**dy long?

Edited March 30, 2010 by RichT

[Phartycr0c]

Oh gawd! looks like the Swordfish may have to make an appearance! Some FINE work going on there Rich you should be justifiably proud.

[RichT]

Oh gawd! looks like the Swordfish may have to make an appearance!

Get it started

[Gajman]

This is looking really good. I remember starting this kit as a kid. I managed to source some 1/32 scale plans from somewhere (there must have been a service that sold doifferent scale plans in those days because I remember getting a number of sets of plans) and was building it to those plans. Not sure what happened to it (I do know it never got finished).

I like the Lysander, it has an ugly beauty to it (I know what I mean ), a bit like the Wasp helicopter.

I'll be watching this thread with interest.

[RichT]

Thanks Gajman. I must say I'm having great fun building this kit, even though it's taking me a while. It's pretty cheap - in fact free to me, since I was given it by Pharty to lure me back into the hobby The kit is pretty good quality too. What's great is that, because it's not hugely expensive, I feel free to experiment with it and try out some techniques that I haven't attempted before.

[RichT]

Another quick update. Even after re-seating the landing lights, I was unhappy with the fit between the lens edges and the wheel pants, where there were big gaps in several places. I could have just filled these, but in the 1:1 there was a trim ring which was presumably how they accessed the lights for maintenance. I decided to make those - not sure how well they'll work out, but better than the gaps. Here's the work in progress:

I've also finished the engine cowling and the front end generally, apart from some over-weathering after final assembly. Here's what we've got - it's heavily weathered with the salt technique, some might say too much so. But many of the Lizzies in my reference photos are heavily dinked and scratched, because of the rough terrain in which they worked. In fact, I've actually gone lighter on the cowl flaps than in many of the photos, which show almost bare metal (see last but one photo for an example). The last photo is of the aircraft that I am building, which has somewhat fewer battle scars.

If there are any experts out there, can you tell me - down the lower side of the fuselage on V9707 below the roundel and rear cockpit hatch, is that a Gee antenna?

[RichT]

Another long break between updates, but a visit to the Telford show has spurred me on, and the Lizzie is now nearing completion. I got some masks made up by Mal (Holdfast of this parish) for V9707 and I thought I'd show the results - they're not called Miracle Masks for nothing, if a complete numpty like me can get them to work! I have to say that I like the effect of real painted markings a whole lot better than decals.

Sorry about the photos - the flash has made it look all shiny (plus it has had a flat coat since then). The bare metal effect (created by using the salt technique) may seem a bit OTT in this photo, but it has toned down quite a bit after the weathering. Besides, I've seen a few photos of Lizzies with some really tatty paintwork and it's that effect that I'm after - ridden hard and put away wet

I'm quite pleased with the results on the port side:

A few problems of my own making on the starboard roundel - the yellow paint was way too thin and ran a little bit along some of the etched lines. It's since been touched up and then brushed under the carpet with some judicious weathering.

Stand by for some more updates - I'm just doing the final assembly and hope to post the finished results soon.

[spitfire23bc]

Ooh, looking lovtly! Those masks certainly seem to have done the job.

More please?

Dan (who might make some progress on his own Lizzie one day)

[mumbles]

Looking great

Having got mine off the bench and on to the shelf only relatively recently it is nice to see another coming along so well.

[AnonymousDFB1]

Nice work

[Phartycr0c]

Rich, Thats looking seriously nice! The salt technique has worked wonders as has the paint masking for the roundels. Top Work! Now you need a nice IL-2 with skis!

Edited December 29, 2010 by Phartycr0c

[woody37]

She's looking good. Those masks really do improve it over decals. Looking forward to seeing the wings go on.

[RichT]

Thanks for the kind comments chaps.

@spitfire - I know what you mean, sometimes the effort required for this bird can be a bit daunting, but it's great when the end is in sight.

@mumbles - I saw your finished Lizzie, she looks wonderful

@pharty - I love the Sturmovik as you know. But I really need to whittle down the stash, so the IL-2 will have to wait.

@woody - The wings are already on, and she's HUGE!! I just need to attach the cockpit transparencies and some final tweaks and we're there

I love it when a plane comes together (sorry, bad pun ). More pics to follow soon.

[RichT]

Right, nearly done, just a couple of tweaks and a question at the end for all you experts.

The transparencies were a bit of a problem, and I dare say the poor pilot of this lady would end up pretty chilly with all the gaps I've left. But it's the best I can do without major structural rework and repainting.

Apologies for the rough-and-ready photo backgrounds - when we are finally done and dusted I promise I will find a way to take some photos with a non-distracting background

Finally, here's the question. In an early fit of madness I removed the plastic navigation lamp clusters with a view to replacing them with something more authentic. What suggestions does anyone have to make up some nav lights? I was thinking about melting some transparent sprue into an impression in Blu Tack (I kept the original shapes that I chopped out) but the idea of melting sprue into a runny state seems a bit tricky. Can anyone suggest a better technique or some other material I could use?

[Phartycr0c]

That, sir is outstanding stuff! I really do love the battered appearance of this wee beastie. I know they were'nt really looked after and were flown hard with little maintainence. Youv'e captured that superbly.

As far as the lights go, either build up with superglue and shape or have a go with Humbrol clearfix

[spitfire23bc]

Holy weathered Lysander, Batman! Rich, that is gorgeous!

For the lights, how about gluing on a chunk of clear sprue (hollowed out so you can add the actual lights inside) and sanding it down to shape? That's my current plan (fiber optics too - never let it be said I'm not ambitious!).

What paint did you use for the collector ring? I've been having trouble getting mine to look any good.

Dan

[RichT]

I'm starting to think I got carried away with the weathering, especially on the prop - which was in fact a bit of an accident, it wasn't supposed to be so shabby but the Klear coat reacted badly with something I think. The bit I think worked best was the 'rivet' lines on the canvas wing sections, very tedious but definitely adds some texture to the whole effect. I should really have etched some more access panels (there are loads on the 1:1) but my eyes were starting to go screwy after the rivets

For the nav lights, I ended up filing a bit of clear sprue as you suggested, Dan, drilling a small lightbulb sized hole which I filled with green/red paint, then painted silver on the back before attaching. Quite fiddly and the carpet monster ate a couple Will take a photo and update. Maybe you could just drill a hole and run the end of the fibre into it?

The collector ring was a mixture of Vallejo Model Color Copper with Model Air Black, IIRC. It was then toned down with Tamiya Weathering Master, Soot followed by Rust.

[Gabbro]

Hi Rich, would it be poss to see another pic of instr panel back. What a great piece of modelling

Regards

[Winenut]

I'm a weird fish but for some reason the Lysander to me is just a beautiful thing! Spitfires...lovely....Corsairs...awesome.....but the Lysander dropping off and picking up spies and agents and underground subversives.......my kinda flying. Made a matchbox 32 scale when I was about 16......best looking kit I ever made ....family cat despatched it in one crazed attack....Oh well! Yours looks GREAT!