I love Lizzies! I remember my first was a Keilcraft or Veron rubber kit from the '50s. It never flew, was never even covered but the airframe intrigued me! IIRC, my next Lysander was an Airfix 1/72 plastic model followed 20 years later by a 1/48 plastic kit of un-remembered make. Then only about 4 months after flying my first RC model, I converted an old Aeromodeller free-flight plan to rc and a 60" Lizzie with a geared 480 can motor took to the skies. My first 'real' scale model. I was hooked!

While building that last model, Nev (of Kiwi fame) posted a section of an oldish FSM plan (1990s) to help me find a CG for the beast. I was amazed at the detail on the plan and had always intended to buy a copy. Last year I bit the bullet and about six months ago, recieved two huge sheets of paper plus a dozen A4 sheets of detail drawings. It looked great - a detailer's dream

I did some web searching and the only person I could find who had built the model was Mike Chilson - the founder/administrator of RCSB (RC Scale Builders) site. The model is being briefly described there so I can pick some brains!

Here are some fuzzy photos of the plans - the model is 1.75" = 1', about 1:6.8 scale and results in a whopping 87" span but it is a fairly lightweight build. I havent done anything on the model for some weeks but will post what I have to 'stay in touch'

I'll give some more details later

Pat (off for a hospital visit.....)

Crikey Pat she looks like a piece of work this one, that wing is a real doozy! nice little spare time project you have yourself. Easy does it, in your own time.

All the best to you both
Craig

Craig - the wing is certainly complicated - esp. as I'd like to make the slats work..........but that is wa.....ay down the track!

Why do I like the Lysander? It has a certain appeal - great gawky undercarriage, impossibly shaped wing (it tapers in EVERY direction from the strut attachment point) that bulbous nose and carrot body, plus for me, the great visibility of almost everything inside the crew spaces! That visibility deters a lot of modellers as it is not alwyas easy to simply whack on a moulded canopy, The Mizer model has sliding side, top and rear glazing and most importantly, the highly visible centre pylon is of scale structure albeit of wood not duralumin but more of that later.

The pilot sits several feet above the fuselage bottom and there is no floor so every strut, brace, longeron and stringer can be seen below his feet! Lovely
This means of couse, that all this framing detail stuff has to be added before any external sheeting, stringers or covering. It really appealed to me.

I have long been looking to build a model that was 1) a little different 2) a challenge in contruction 3) plenty of detail info available 4) could be built like the real aircraft 5) not too large in scale. This Lizzie at around 1:7 (similar to Peter Rakes Brisfit) was ideal. I'd collected many books on the type and have spent countless hours coming to grips with it's internals - I had a good plan, plenty of references and a fascination with the type.

Selecting a specific prototype was harder. The Special Duties (SD) model has been done to death, The Canadian Target Towing (TT) version flew recently and although the stripes intrigued me, was a bit too 'In your face' for me and I rather like the battered camouflaged WW2 look. Then I found a mixture! The MKIII TT Lysanders were used as target tugs for gunnery training in Britain during WW2. They had black and yellow stripes underneath, Earth and green camo on top, some still retained the auxilliary winglets and bomb racks plus they were operated by US forces in Britain, the RAN, as well as the RAF! Done deal
More waffle later...
Pat

The drop tank could be fun - also weren't there some with rockets or guns mounted on things sticking out from the wheel pants? I've been looking at the plan in I think dec rcme, but its a big project! Enjoy Pat - I'll be following along

Old Arthur Green (Our clubs oldest teenager... He's got to be 75 at least, but flies like he's 13) built the Tony Nijhuis design from last years RCM&E Special. He says it flys like a Lysander... That is, like a pig. His words, not mine.

Looks good but.

Cheers,

Hugh

Pat, glad you are posting again. This one should be right up your alley. More bits and bobs than even the Brisfit I think. The most complicated wing on the planet, spats, winglets with little bombs or rockets, a greenhouse..... Oh my, the elves will be busy.

Jeff

Hugh - I've heard that comment from a few who've built the Nijhuis version. Maybe the ic model is a bit heavy. Best tip I've heard is to fly a Lysander like a bomber - not a screaming warbird! And not to try flying it too slowly without power. The real machine had automatic flaps and slats (they were actuated by airspeed and AOA - not even a flap lever in the cockpit. Also a variable incidence tailplane to help. None of this is easy on a model. The flight manual states that any aerobatics are illegal! - sounds like my sort of competition flyer - no rolls, loops, stall turns, spins etc.
Off to the dreaded hospital....

Pat

I don't think ANY of the little KeilKraft rubber-powered Lysanders flew far..I remember how the wing roots were simply butt-glued onto the celluloid cabin (and with balsa cement too). Even test-gliding it over long, soft grass was enough to knock off the wings..talk about 'design error' !!!

Look forward to seeing all that lovely interior detailing.

Heck Pat, i'm suprised you didn't go with the twin tail, turret version, you know just for the extra difficuly factor (my god what were they thinking she was apparently a stally bird to start with but then to add all that junk up the back end, she would have been real interesting to fly. didn't realize she was such a large bird and that the slats went full span, they will be fragile!!! very interesting

Cheers
Craig

I see that Pat takes breaks from modelling like I do. The mind just never stops churning, does it? A bloke in my club is currently building a Lizzie, but it will be of the overweight smelly glow variety. Trumps - Tim Hooper did a Wendover a few years back. How to make the ugly uglier!

Heya Frank, the other day i discovered why you are in love with polyspan...mm..mm, it does lay down nicely doesn't it! Wendover eh, yup it just defies logic, you would think that they would have learned their lesson that turret fighters don't work with the defiant, why make an even slower less manuverable one!

Craig

Frank - I'm not currently modelling but am posting some pictures and thoughts in slow time - just to keep 'on the radar'
Craig, That Canadian Lysander - Chris Rebidoux from Canada spent a great time climbing all over that machine and sent me a CD with a hundred or mor pictures on it! Very helpful. Here's one showing some controls on the left side of the cockpit - the flap lever slot is there but I've never seen a Lysander with a lever! Maybe a MKI had manual flaps.
Pat

Pat,

It's great to see that your going to do the Lysander, it's one of my many favourites. When I look at the one in Shuttleworth I am always amazed at the size of it.

Ahh Craig, the Wendover wasn't supposed to be a fighter, it's purpose was to strafe the beaches if the baddies came ashore.

Originally Posted by Kiwi

Ahh Craig, the Wendover wasn't supposed to be a fighter, it's purpose was to strafe the beaches if the baddies came ashore.

well inthat case i hope they were planning on having more of them than the Germans had bullets, talk about target practice!

Craig