 Westland
Lysander
By James Kightly
Mushroom Model Publications, ©2006
ISBN 83-917178-4-4
Softbound, 208 Pages
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.
My thanks to Mushroom for the
review copy.
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