Matchbox 1/72 Westland Lysander II
Sept 13, 2019 17:39:05 GMT 1
woody66, northbynorthwest, and 5 more like this
Post by acklington on Sept 13, 2019 17:39:05 GMT 1
Here's an old kit, I must have had this unmade model since 1980, or earlier.
P9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (6) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
P9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (10) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
P9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (12) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
P9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (14) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
P9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (15) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
P9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (26) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
P9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (28) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
P9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (35) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
The kit is basically accurate and goes together well. However there are many details missing, so I added an instrument panel, control stick, cowling brace supports, aerials, guns, better light bomb carriers, rear windows (to see the balance weights), landing lights, and pitot tube.
It is an addition to my RAF Ouston, Northumberland project, and throughout the war Ouston was a base for target training aircraft for the many AA guns defending Tyneside. Sadly, however, photos are zilch, so once again I have had to make assumptions regarding the colours and markings. Lysander Mk.II P9099 is known to have served with no less than three of the target units at Ouston, starting in May 1941 with 7 Anti Aircraft Co-operation Unit; then 13 Group Target Towing Flight, which later became 289 Squadron. None of these units had code letters allocated at Ouston, and neither did the aircraft have individual ID markings, other than the serial number. I have assumed that in its earlier days P9099 might have remained close to its former operational configuration and colours, as it was only used to calibrate the AA guns for height and speed. It was not a 'target towing' aircraft.
However, in 1942 it left Ouston to be converted to a TT Mk.II, at which point it no doubt adopted black & yellow target towing stripes. It was then issued to 41 OTU at Old Sarum, before being crated for shipping to the Middle East. It never made it, being lost at sea en-route in January 1943. So somewhere on a seabed it still resides, although the official 'loss date' of 8th January 1943 does not match any recorded shipping losses on that date. It is perhaps the date the paperwork was done, not when the ship sank?
P9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (6) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrP9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (10) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrP9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (12) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrP9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (14) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrP9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (15) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrP9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (26) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrP9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (28) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrP9099, 13 Group AACU, Ouston, June 1941 (35) w by Philip Pain, on FlickrThe kit is basically accurate and goes together well. However there are many details missing, so I added an instrument panel, control stick, cowling brace supports, aerials, guns, better light bomb carriers, rear windows (to see the balance weights), landing lights, and pitot tube.
It is an addition to my RAF Ouston, Northumberland project, and throughout the war Ouston was a base for target training aircraft for the many AA guns defending Tyneside. Sadly, however, photos are zilch, so once again I have had to make assumptions regarding the colours and markings. Lysander Mk.II P9099 is known to have served with no less than three of the target units at Ouston, starting in May 1941 with 7 Anti Aircraft Co-operation Unit; then 13 Group Target Towing Flight, which later became 289 Squadron. None of these units had code letters allocated at Ouston, and neither did the aircraft have individual ID markings, other than the serial number. I have assumed that in its earlier days P9099 might have remained close to its former operational configuration and colours, as it was only used to calibrate the AA guns for height and speed. It was not a 'target towing' aircraft.
However, in 1942 it left Ouston to be converted to a TT Mk.II, at which point it no doubt adopted black & yellow target towing stripes. It was then issued to 41 OTU at Old Sarum, before being crated for shipping to the Middle East. It never made it, being lost at sea en-route in January 1943. So somewhere on a seabed it still resides, although the official 'loss date' of 8th January 1943 does not match any recorded shipping losses on that date. It is perhaps the date the paperwork was done, not when the ship sank?
