Westland Lysander
Online & printed reviews
Notre avis
Le programme
Westland Lysander répond à une demande de 1934 (Specification A39/34) du
Ministère de l'Air britannique pour un avion de soutien et de
coopération militaire. Ses principales caractéristiques devant être la
capacité d'observation, et des capacités aux décollages et atterrissages
courts sur terrains avancés sommaires ou en mauvais état. Westland
emporta le marché avec son avion à grande verrière rapidement surnommé
"la serre volante". Grâce à ses dispositifs aérodynamiques, l'avion
était à sa sortie très rapide pour l'époque tout en étant capable
d'évoluer à basse vitesse.
Les deux premiers prototypes firent leur premier vol le 15 juin 1936 et les premiers avions de série Lysander Mk.I entrèrent en service en juin 1938. L'appareil était une réussite et la production atteignit 1652 machines dont 225 furent construites au Canada. La production du "Lyzzie" stoppa en janvier 1942.
Au combat, le Lysander fut au début des opérations utilisé dans son rôle de coopération militaire, notamment dans la couverture de l'évacuation de Dunkerque, avec le harcèlement des troupes allemandes offensives. Pour autant, il se montra particulièrement vulnérable aux avions de chasse ennemis et son rôle fut modifié en avion de sauvetage, en remorqueur de cible ou en avion de liaisons. Dans ce dernier rôle, il se montra un appareil particulièrement bien adapté à la dépose et la récupération d'agents en territoire ennemi, grâce à ses capacités ADAC.
La littérature sur cet
avion marquant reste cependant assez peu importante. C'est donc avec un
regard très intéressé que nous nous sommes penchés sur ce nouvel ouvrage
signé Mushroom Models Publications. Bien que rédigé en langue anglaise,
ce livre est très abordable et complet. On y découvre toutes les
versions de Lysander, tous leurs utilisateurs et même des dérivés,
notamment celui conçu par Delanne sur le schéma de son Arsenal-Delanne
10. Le livre comporte une foultitude de plans, de profils et de photos
de détail. Un livre que nous avons personnellement très apprécié.
Excellent !
Aeroscale.co.uk
by: Rowan Baylis
Summary
I've rapidly grown to be a big fan of Mushroom Model Publications -
their books on the PZL 23 and Boulton Paul Defiant have been great, but
the latest volume on the Westland Lysander must rate as the best yet,
combining invaluable reference pics and an extraordinarily low price.
The Lysander is one of those aircraft which you probably love or hate -
slow and ugly, but blessed with incredible STOL capabilities and used
for some of the most daring espionage missions of WW2. One way or
another, it deserves a place in any model collection and you could
hardly find a better reference for building it than Mushroom's new book.
James Knightly's book breaks down into 3 basic sections filling 208
pages:
1. A history and development of the Lysander, including technical
descriptions, scale plans etc.
2. A walkaround section
3. A series of colour profiles
Such a brief description does no justice to the contents, so I'll
examine each section in a bit more detail.
History and Development
122 pages follow the Lysander from its design and first prototypes,
through service introduction and baptism of fire. Separate sub-sections
deal with service oversees and with various air forces around the globe.
Throughout, the photo coverage is excellent, with well-printed and
captioned B&W wartime photos backing up the detailed text.
A set of excellent 1/72 scale plans are included, covering all the
versions from prototype through to Mk.III, including the Special Duties
modifications and these are augmented by a number of scale diagrams
linked to sections of the text, illustrating aspects such as bomb
carriers and dinghy stowage on the undercarriage spats.
A technical section discusses various aspects of the Lysander airframe
in some detail, going on to introduce some of the remarkable Lysander "One-Offs"
such as the tandem-winged P-12 "Delanne" and "Pregnant Perch" ground
strafer and Blackburn Steiger. These are all illustrated with more 1/72
scale plans and I can imagine a few modelling projects are bound to
spring from this section alone!
After a chapter of pilots' anecdotes which really bring the aircraft to
life for the reader, the book then lists Squadron Codes for RAF and
Dominion Lysander units, technical specs for the major versions,
productions batches, serials and quantities produced and an extensive
bibliography.
Rounding off the first section of the book is chapter devoted to
preserved Lysanders around the world, including the service history for
each and their current status.
Walkaround Section
After a general view of some of the preserved machines, things really
kick into gear with a superb set of colour photos, backed up by original
illustrations from manuals, covering the Lysander in almost forensic
detail. The pictures are well printed and a good size with detailed
captions and broken down into logical sections; fuselage, cockpit,
canopy, engine, wing, tail, undercarriage and armament. The walkaround
section is about 60 pages long with over 200 photos - so, basically,
everything you can imagine needing for a model is covered.
Profiles Section
Rounding off the book are a set of 28 colour profiles, some including
plan views as well. If you're still left in need of inspiration for
modelling projects after the previous sections, this should do it for
you with colour schemes for Portuguese, Egyptian, Turkish and Irish
aircraft, as well as some of the more expected RAF, RCAF, USAAF and
Finnish Lysanders.
Conclusion
James Knightly's book on the Lysander is well written, packed with
detail and a modeller's' dream with its walkaround section. The price
seems almost absurdly low for such a useful reference, so I'd suggest
anyone who's even remotely considering ever modelling the Lysander to go
and grab a copy before the publishers realise they've set the price too
low! Unreservedly recommended.
The Magazine, IPMS UK 5/2006
Model Airplane Int. June 2006
JP4 Mensile di Aeronautica e Spazio, Italy
Hyperscale.com
by Brett Green
Mushroom Model Magazine continues their
Orange series with a useful and detailed reference title on the Westland
Lysander. At 208 pages, this book is somewhat bigger than others in the
series.
The author, James Kightly, takes a logical approach to the subject. The
text starts with a description of the concept and prototype development,
followed by RAF war service in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East,
plus lesser known fronts in Madagascar and the Andaman Islands. Next, we
are told about foreign production and service with such countries as
Canada, France, India, Burma, Ireland, Egypt, Finland, Portugal, Turkey,
the USA, Yugoslavia and Latvia. The various roles of this flexible
workhorse are also covered - ASR, target towing, Special Duties,
combined operations, health and naval. These historical and operational
sections are covered in 87 pages, with copious captioned photographs to
illustrate the text.
24 pages of technical descriptions follow, including plenty of close-up
photos and line drawings of some well-known and more obscure variants.
This section also offers a pilot's viewpoint from pre-flight to take-off,
handling and landing. Units, codes and detailed specifications are also
provided.
Following several pages of colour photos of surviving Lysanders, we come
upon more than 50 pages of detailed walk around photos, including access
to some of the most out of the way areas imaginable (inside the rear
fuselage, for example).
Artur Juszczak rounds out the book with 28 colour profiles of the
Lysander - some one to a page, some three, and several three-view
illustrations - representing the mainstream colours and some of the most
interesting special schemes in RAF and foreign service. The quality of
the artwork is very good.
Conclusion
This is the most detailed title dedicated to the Lysander that I have
seen. It will be interesting to all RAF enthusiasts, but is especially
helpful to modellers due to the ample detailed reference photos and line
drawings, plus the inspiration of the attractive artwork.
Highly Recommended.
Aeroplane
(July issue)
by Mike Hooks
IPMS USA
Reviewed By Paul Bradley, #35554
The Westland Lysander is
one of those aircraft that, designed for a specific role, was a failure
in that role but found acclaim in another totally unintended task. In
this case, the vulnerable army co-operation aircraft became the darling
of the French Resistance by carrying out nighttime sorties to pick up
and drop agents and supplies. But the Lysander also served on other less
glamorous roles with equal aplomb; target tug, air sea rescue and
trainer.
Mushroom Model Publications’ latest addition to the Orange Series
features this ungainly aircraft in what I believe to be the first full
length monograph on this type, although both Warpaint and 4+ have
produced modeler’s references in the past. In their usual fashion, MMP
rely on previously unpublished first hand accounts of the type’s use.
These are interesting and provide some useful background history for our
models, something I feel to be a necessary adjunct to our hobby.
Alongside these accounts are tons of photos, many of these also
previously unpublished. The book details the history of the type and an
interesting section gives comprehensive information about exports and
foreign usage, including those by the USAAF in Europe.
The second part of the book is MMP’s customary comprehensive color
coverage, in this instance running to 62 pages. These include many
detail photos of some of the handful of survivors that exist; in deed,
MMP include details of all 13 known extant airframes. Also included is a
complete set of plans to 1/72 scale. Rounding out the book are 28
full-color profiles covering all roles and many nations.
All this is very useful indeed to anyone tackling one of the handful of
Lysander kits available on the market. The fact that this book is so
inexpensive makes it all the more valuable. As a series, this is proving
to be very useful indeed as MMP tackles subjects that have never
previously been so comprehensively covered. This book is certainly no
exception and I can heartily recommend it.
Internet
Modeler
Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl
This may just be my
failing eyesight, but it sure seems that Mushroom Model Publications
have been getting bigger and bigger. This weighty book comes in at over
200 pages, which I believe is the largest title Mushroom has produced in
their small format. At least the subject warrants that kind of coverage,
as the Westland Lysander is one plane that has an extremely fascinating
history. This plane was originally designed as an Army co-operation
aircraft, but soon was used for just about everything, from training to
combat. This book presents this plane in a detailed and thorough manner,
one which is a joy to read. The operational record alone will keep you
riveted into the wee hours of the night.
The second word in Mushroom’s name, though, is Model, and this book
doesn’t let the modeler down at all. In addition to the great historical
text, this book is packed with the usual high quality scale drawings we
have come to expect from Mushroom Model Publications. These include all
the main variants of the Lysander, as well as many of the prototypes for
different projects. Smaller scrap views present information on different
main gear weapon layouts. While drawings are good, what really helps
bring them to life are detail photos, and this book has plenty of those.
The Lysander is relatively well preserved in museums, with many examples
around the world. The detail photos reflect that, and leave no spot
unseen. Rounding out the book is the usual selection of color profiles,
illustrating many of the different schemes worn by this famous plane.
For those who have been waiting for the ultimate reference on the
Lysander, wait no more. This book is well worth the price as it is
filled to bursting with excellent information, both written and visual.
Now if only Tamiya would do a 1/72 Lysander.
Modeling Madness
by Scott Van Aken
This has to be the largest
book yet produced in the orange series at 208 pages and it is on the
Westland Lysander. Though a complete failure at its intended role of
artillery spotting (a fate that befell a number of aircraft where
complete air superiority was not available), the 'Lizzie' was able to be
used with a great deal of success in other roles such as Air Sea Rescue,
Target Towing, and Special Ops where they dropped agents and materials
behind enemy lines.
Much of the success in these roles was due to its wide speed range from
50-300 mph, though the aircraft was really very dangerous to fly when
going low and slow. Many fatalities occurred with inexperienced pilots
who stalled at low altitude and had no where to go to gain speed. Yet
this trait was paramount to getting in and out of small fields in
Occupied Europe and Burma.
In line with others in this series, there is a full history of the type
that includes development and operational use throughout the war zones.
This is accompanied with excellent drawings that show the variant
differences along with a technical description and pilot's notes. A
table of specifications and production is also included.
Half the book is dedicated to surviving aircraft, of which there are a
lot more than I'd have thought. Especially as the type disappeared from
service virtually overnight after the war and had almost no post-war use.
Thanks to these surviving airframes, there are a plethora of color
photographs of various parts and bits of the aircraft, making it a
modeler's delight. Interspersed with all this are period close ups and
sections from the pilot's or maintenance handbooks. This is all capped
by page after page of superbly drawn profiles.
Though it has to be a misprint, this book is available at the same price
as the other, just a bit under 10 pounds sterling. An excellent value
and a superb reference on the type that has to be part of your library.
Cybermodeler
By Ray Mehlberger
This new
book by Mushroom Model Magazine Publications (MMP) is in their ususual 6
½” x 9” soft cover format, for this series of aviation books. It is 208
pages long.
The book describes the development and operational career of the
Lysander, the last “classic” army cooperation aircraft to serve with the
RAF. Found wanting in its original role, when the war started, it went
on to fill a great variety of other tasks. It did air-sea rescue to
target tugging – and, in its best remembered role, as the transport for
dropping and collecting agests into and from occupied Europe.
The book is profusely illustrated with 134 black and white war-time
photos, 28 line drawings (in 1/72nd scale), 8 line scrap drawings, 19
illustrations out of a tech manual and 113 color photos (most of which
are walk-around type). Many of these photos are printed for the first
time. There are also 32 full color profile paintings (4 of which are
2-views: side and top) in the rear of the book. Added to this are 6 data
tables.
The book covers all the operational and test variants of the Lysander,
and service with all air arms which used the aircraft. The profiles
include color schemes for aircraft in the services of the U.K., Ireland,
Free French, Portugal, Egypt, Finland, Turkey and the U.S. There are
also first hand accounts about flying the “Lizzie”, both in WW2 and the
current restored warbirds. The very detailed walk-around color photos of
surviving aircraft reveal virtually all of the aircraft’s structure and
equipment.
This is the most complete book on the Lysander that has been published
to date, in a compact volume, and will be of interest to historians,
aircraft enthusiasts and modellers.
Highly recommended.