So, I have this nice little QRF 15mm metal Lysander. I've had it for some time now (read years) and I'd been trying to figure out how to assemble it and have it stay together. The problem was that the wings are very thin but they're made of metal so they're relatively heavy. They are also long and the mounting point on the fuselage doesn't offer much surface area, and the wing struts are thin and easy to bend. There are also little winglets that mount on the wheel pants and they pose a similar problem. For the longest time I couldn't figure out how to assemble the model and not have it fall apart due to gravity or from getting bumped on the game table.
I decided that this model would not be in an estate sale 80 years from now so I started drilling holes and pinning the larger parts (landing gear to fuselage and horizontal stab to fuselage). Then I decided that I would cut thin troughs in the wing and then line the troughs with pins, brown stuff, and super glue. Once that mess had cured I filed the contents of the troughs flush with the top of the wing. One problem solved. picture
I glued the wing to the fuselage and then drilled a hole through the wing and into the fuselage. I inserted the pins, followed that with some super glue, and then used brown stuff and sculpted the top of the canopy/wing mounting point. Second problems solved.
For the little winglets I decided that I would mount a pin in the landing gear and have the winglet rest on the pin. That allowed me to glue the winglet to the pin and to the landing gear. I hid the pins with a couple of resin bombs…they might not be exactly like the ones the Lizzie carried but they're close enough for me. picture
The QRF Lysander is a nice looking model. Here she is ready for the primer.
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I liked this Lysander so much I ordered another (next one is for special missions), some QRF 15mm Pzl-11s, and some G-50s. LKM – QRF link
Geoff, thanks for the tip on where to get the models in the USA…Wargames wargamesminis.com .
Kevin
