Gavia 1/48 scale Westland Lysander Mk.III

Manufacturer: Gavia, distributed by Eduard, Obrince 170, 43521 Obrince, Czech Republic www.eduard.cz
Kit: No. 007/0401
Scale: 1/48
Price: $39.99
Comments: Injection-molded, 100 parts, decals
Pros: Good detail, excellent fit, good canopy, excellent decals
Cons: Right wing strut short, no instrument panel decal, greenhouse framework requires careful assembly

The British Westland Lysander was designed in the mid-1930s for tactical reconnaissance. It served in many World War II roles, ranging from clandestine flights to pulling targets for gunnery practice. Its short take-off and landing capabilities proved invaluable. Many downed allied pilots and resistance fighters owed their lives to Lysanders and their crews.


Gavia's all-new kit is nicely done, and includes a fine injection-molded, five-part canopy. Excellent decals are supplied for three different aircraft; two are RAF temperate schemes, and the third is a green, black, and light-blue Finnish scheme. Numerous stencils as well as seat-belt decals are supplied, but suprisingly there were no instrument decals for the panel. I used an old IPMS/USA instrument panel decal.


Gavia's eight-page instruction folder is clearly illustrated and calls out the colors of the parts. Four pages are devoted to marking and color scheme drawings.


The cockpit interior is well detailed and the overall fit is excellent. My sample's right wing strut was a bit short, so I added Milliput epoxy putty to the bottom and sculpted it to match the strut. I recommend filing the mold-separation lines on the tops of the cylinder heads to allow the engine to fit snugly into the cowl.


Assembling the braced interior structure and the greenhouse was tricky, but it fit fine. I masked the canopy panels with Bare-Metal Foil, then painted the frames and glued the sections in place with white glue and solvent glue only after careful test-fitting. The sliding rear canopy can be placed only in the open position.


The decals went on beautifully and responded well to Micro Set. There was no silvering, even of the small stencil decals. I neglected to trap the landing light reflectors in the wheel pants so I had to struggle getting them in after the pant halves were glued together. Because the antenna mast is so fragile, I reinforced it with a short piece of brass wire inserted in a hole in the wing. No clear wing-tip navigation lights were supplied so I covered Bare-Metal Foil with Tamiya clear red and clear green.


According to my reference, Profile Publications No. 159, the finished model appears correct in contour and measures right in both wing span and length. I spent 38 hours on my Lysander.


I recommend this quality kit to experienced modelers who are able to handle cockpit detail and the challenge of the large five-part canopy.