1:48 Lysander - Seatbelts

Textile seatbelts for the Westland Lysander 1:48

A set of seatbelts of fine textile completed with photo-etched fittings, meant for the cockpit of a 1:48 model of the Lysander. The belts are pre-cut, so it is enough to take them out, shape them and seat them. Unlike plastic and photo-etch alone, the cloth behaves pliably and keeps a natural sag in the seat.

The Westland Lysander

The British Lysander came about in the second half of the 1930s as an army cooperation aircraft for reconnaissance and liaison with ground units. A high-set braced wing with automatic slots gave it extraordinary qualities at low speeds: it could take off and land on a very short area. It was precisely that which after 1941 made it a legend of secret operations, when black-painted machines of the special duties squadrons landed at night in the meadows of occupied France and carried agents there and back. Among its earlier tasks were artillery observation and dropping supplies to surrounded units.

How to work with the seatbelts

First bend the pieces over the edge of a pair of tweezers, so that the textile loses its flat look. Fit the photo-etched fittings and secure them with a drop of super glue applied with a pin. Painting is usually not needed, as the tone of the cloth is ready, but a fine emphasis of the buckles with a metal shade and a light wash will deepen the impression of wear. Seat the belts in the seat before you close the fuselage, and let the free ends hang over the edge.

Who the set suits

• Builders of British aircraft of the Second World War
• Modelers who build the cockpit with the canopy slid back
• Those interested in more pliable belts than purely photo-etched ones

This is an accessory for a cockpit, not a kit in itself; paints and glue are missing from the box, unless stated otherwise.