Westland Lysander

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.

I want to thank Dr. Roger M. Wallsgrove, Editor-in-Chief of MMP for this review sample.