Flying Tigers Companion: Westland Lysander

Continuing the deep dive into aircraft featured in Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China, today we come to the second aircraft featured in the opening mission - The Westland Lysander. As shown in the first mission, FTSOC largely treats the Lysander as a light bomber, which is the primary role it was used for by the Indian Air Force in the China-Burma-India theater. With its landing gear-mounted stub wings loaded with small bombs, the Lysanders of the IAF were adequate light bombers, at least until better aircraft arrived.

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's Lysander Mk III in target towing colors. (Wikipedia)

However, artillery scouting and harassment bombings were not the Lysander's claim to fame. Instead it would be the flat midnight black Lysander Mk IIIs of RAF No. 138 and No. 161 squadrons that would become famous for their support of spying and resistance operations behind enemy lines. Equipped with a large belly tank for extra range and a fixed ladder for faster ingress/egress from the rear cockpit, these aircraft slipped into and out of occupied territory, their excellent short field performance and relatively high cruising speeds allowing them to extract and insert over two hundred agents from 1941 to 1944.

The Shuttleworth Collection's Lysander Mk III. Wikipedia

Lysanders also performed a great number of other, less glamorous duties. The RAF and RCAF used them as target tugs, liaison aircraft, and as trainers. The Canadians also used them to patrol Canada's Eastern coastline with anti-submarine and search and rescue duties. For a brief time they were even equipped by two fighter squadrons when no other aircraft were available.

Today the roar of the Lysander's Bristol Mercury engine can still be heard on good days at some airfields in Canada (Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and Vintage Wings of Canada), and in England (Shuttleworth Collection). Non-flying exmaples are displayed in Canadian, English, American, Belgian, and Indian museums.

Visible below the Monnett Moni is the NASM's Lysander. And their P-40. I wish I'd gotten individual pictures of those aircraft. Time to play another trip! (My photo).

Virtual pilots, unfortunately, are pretty limited in our options to simulate this aircraft. Lacking the "sexy" roles of fighter or bomber, I cannot recall any other flight-action games besides FTSOC where the Lysander has been represented. For sim pilots, the best bet is add-on mods for FSX, IL-2, or Combat Flight Sim 3.

IL-2 ingame screenshot of modded in Westland Lysander via the Free IL-2 Modding forums and forum member Gumpy

There are also no flying replica kits offered. A single, non-flying Lysander Mk III movie prop is being offered for sale, however. I wonder what my HOA'S rules would be on that?

Sure, this'll look great on my front lawn...
(Photo via Historic and Classic Aircraft Sales