Oxford Diecast Oxford Aviation AC072
Westland Lysander Mk I Diecast Model
RCAF, 416, Malton Airport, Canada, August 1939 |
| 1:72 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Westland Lysander Mk I | | 5.25" | | 8.25" |
The Westland Lysander MkI was a British Army co-operation and liaison aircraft but was also manufactured in Canada from the mid 1930s by the National Steel Car Company. The NSC based in Hamilton, Ontario, was a major railway rolling stock manufacturer but decided to expand into aircraft production as well. Their new aircraft division kept the original company NSC name, working out of Malton Airport just a little further north from Hamilton. Their initial contract was to construct under licence a number of Westland Lysanders, of which No. 416 was the first to come off the production line in August 1939, coinciding with Germany's invasion of Poland and the declaration of war in Europe.
Our Oxford replica of 416 is decorated in a silver colour scheme with matt black propeller spinner and blades. The engine interior visible behind the nose cone and the propeller blades is also finely detailed in black. The unusually shaped wings feature the Air Force roundel on the upper sides, repeated on the undersides along with the number 416 printed in black. Another finely detailed feature worthy of note is the circular wing light on the front of each wheel housing, also painted in metallic silver.
These Canadian built Lysanders were known familiarly as "The Malton Lizzies" and - built under the direction of their Chief Assembly Foreman Tucker Harris - were just the beginning of a booming aerospace industry which was to follow in the Dominion.
Designed to meet an Air Ministry specification for an army co-operation aircraft, the Lysander was first flown on June 15th, 1936. This unconventional looking aircraft had contoured wings that were angled slightly forward so that the pilot was positioned in front of the wing. Its roles included reconnaissance, message pickup, artillery spotting and some limited bombing, but its superb short takeoff and landing capabilities are what set it apart from other aircraft of its time, making it perfect for special night missions such as transportation of agents and supplies to and from mainland Europe. © Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The Oxford Diecast "Oxford Aviation" range presents affordable, ready made diecast models of military aircraft.
Oxford Diecast "Oxford Aviation" diecast airplanes feature:
- Diecast metal and plastic construction.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Permanently retracted landing gear.
- Presentation stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
- Fixed, non-spinning plastic propellers.
- No pilot figures.
© Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
