Ryland Craze

I recently completed this stick and tissue model of a Westland Lysander. The original aircraft were built in the late 30s and were used by the British for search and rescue. The model kit is made by The Vintage Model Company. It is approximately 1/27 scale and has a wingspan of 22". It's a beautiful little model that was a challenge to build.
 
My only complaint is that the supplied black tissue is very fragile when wet and too transparent when dry. I'll look for better tissue if I do another VMC kit.

One photo of the structure. The parts are laser cut and fit together perfectly. The wheels, struts, and pants are laminated from many pieces and require a lot of carving. and sanding. The silver cowling is vacuum formed but the black cowling is card stock over a built up frame.
No decals - the lettering comes as a printed sheet that you literally cut and paste.
I used a silver marker to outline the control surfaces. Black did not show up. 

Engine cylinders are made of a balsa dowel wrapped with thread, covered with CA, and sliced in half. Lots of work and very hard to see.

I found an image of a Lysander control panel online, printed it, and pasted it in the cockpit.

She’s got stacks

Thanks Grant  your compliments are highly appreciated. Hope you join my granddaughter and  me on our next journey to the far ends of the WORLD!
Best Rick

Today work :

I'm with Chris on this but everyone has a budget and maybe you could make it work for you.  I have a couple of Innocraftmans products and the vice I have is very nicely made.  However it's not that strong and like the other item I have its a little rough around the edges.  I knew this when I bought them and they do exactly what I require them to do.  I would search wider on the net for reviews but if you want a serious mill my instincts are to stay away and save for something better. 

A special thanks to @Gabek,  he has come through for me again. Jumping ahead to the rigging section, I decoverd that parts are missing.  Deadeyes, blocks and the flag were missing, a few pieces for the deck as well.  Steve told me that he got this model a very long time ago, it was given to him by a freind,  it just sat in his closet till he gave it to me. Don't  know about the flag, but Deadeyes,  that's where buddy Gabe comes in. I called him, explain things, away  he go's 60 deadeye blocks ready  for pick up. Thanks so much Gabe.
I have the single blocks and a few doubles from the Scientific Bluenose model left over.
  Also the thread for the rigging,  I am changing all of it. The larges one the kit has was .75 mm for shrouds,  then the smaller  black thread is .4mm it's not very good. Oh well I got a lot of thread in my stach box
 The pilot house is just about done waiting for the paint to dry on the vent pipe and the whistle pipe, the rest is as good as it gonna get lol

The windows went the best, the doors and siding not so much, but It'll DO lol.

I only have one American flag, and was told that it is the wrong flag, mine is not supposed to have that many stars. I will find one.

The pilot house grows on you the more you look at it, add the steps  and it will pass
 

Coming together nicely,  its a nice boat, I think it will go beside the Pegasus in the display case,  looks like there is room for one more model.

On to the steering wheel box and wheel, the guns. Thanks ever so much for following along,  also Gabe sent me a link for the plans for the Harriet Lane,  the are great, shows a lot of stuff and how to make it. It has a rudder section I didn't even know it existed  lol. Now it just a matter of getting down to business. Oh no, I have a bowsprit mast,  not fond of them, maybe later 😆 .
 Talk to you all soon. 
Knocklouder 😁 
Captain  Steve  👮‍♂️

Thank you, Eric. It's far from perfect but I'm pleased with the way it turned out. In the original photo I can't see boards in the arches/wheel wells plus it's darker (I think) than mere shadows. It's possible and would make sense that Engel lined the inside of the arches with canvas. Just a thought. I'm leaving the arches white and will weather them with pastels.   
 I ordered the transfers on 12-2 and still haven't received them. I called Woodland Scenics  yesterday as the tracking number states the order is sitting in the post office because of a packaging issue. The person I spoke with said the post office was probably behind and the tracking info was most likely incorrect. When I suggested he contact them since they were the shipper I was told I should contact them..........hmmm. 
 
 Thank you, John. Yes, I to look forward to the paddle wheels being installed as that will be the last major hurdle to cross. 
 
 Thank you very much, Keith. 
 
 Thank you, Paul. I checked and the pens are supposed to arrive today. Hopefully I'll have photos late4r this evening. 
 
 Do you have a particular brand you prefer and the reason for that choice, Eberhard? 

You're steaming ahead at 20 knots, mate !   Hmmmm, ... Scotty, can you give us any more ?! ...  Captain, I'm giv'in' her all I've got !

Thanks Chris 
As I said to Ryland it means alot
Best Rick

Since being a new member 
since July that means alot Ryland because it makes me feel that I am truely accepted into this wonderful community. I have been building model ships for years and always alone without help or encouragement. Wish that I found this forum years ago. It made the build so much more enjoyable with followers and input. 
By the way Ryland after looking at your profile I have you beat by 8 months with time on this earth. 
Thanks Again   Rick

@palmerit I am not much of a reader more of a visual kind of guy, lol. I will go look but I have so much painting to do on the Harriet Lane. 
@robert952 very glad you came aboard, .
Got up today feeling like a kid,  couldn't wait to start. CS says let's prime everything  today,

So to the paint shop. After 30 minutes  or so they are touch dry.


After a second cup of go go juice  I placed them about were they go. Now I have to let the primer dry over night before finish coat, color to be determined later. 

Well lunch time, maybe a nap , just saying. Lol, let's see what I can do after lunch 😴. 
Thanks for looking in, very greatful. 
Looking at the yard work , no help from the instructions, but that's the fun part. 😀. 
 
Knocklouder 😁 
Captain Steve  👨 
Ps. Steve demands a better picture,  he's a river boat man , lol 🚢 🚣‍♂️ 

I realized how often I look at your posts on this build as I peruse recent posts.
 
I am jumping on board to watch the rest of the build.  
 
As with most projects there's problems we have to solve (like the deteriorated decal) that need unique solutions. Part of the challenge and rewards when assembling model.s
 
The model looks good. I look forward to the rest of the build. 

Finally after almost 6 weeks at sea fighting off Pirates and surviving a BLIZZARD we have reached our destination. I have enjoyed the journey and even the sleepless nights. Thanks to everyone who has accompanied me. I am dropping anchor in THE ISLE OF DREAMS ( Dreaming of my next build hopefully Model Shipways “BLUENOSE”. Having already rescued the Amati   “BLUENOSE “. I invite all who followed my current adventure join me on the next. 
Enjoy the Photos 
Best Rick
 
 

Oups, and I forgot to tell you that before the planned mess, we first had to test fit the new parts.

Non-existent openings in the admiral's quarters were marked...

... cut out ...

... and adjusted to the bulkheads.


The coamings and gratings were also adapted to their openings, or vice versa.

And at some point, the upper battery deck was completely covered with coamings.

The same procedure was followed for the forecastle and aft deck.

The coamings are not as high here, as there were open decks underneath.

In the area of the main mast, the gratings can be taken out, as there are some ropes leading to the bits in the deck below. This makes it easier to belay them.

I also installed those bits and, as a little treat, a new hand pump was also installed there.


Then the coamings were given their colour. The gratings were then masked off and painted light brown, then inked very thinly with black ink and brushed with white.


And then there was the slave labour: gluing in the cannonballs...

... and securing them on the underside with thin-flow superglue.

Finally, I doped the railing with the net holders...

... and add some thickness to the gangway with white Evergreen on the underside ...

... and this part of the task is finished.

Next, I had to come to terms with the not *quite* correct planking pattern. A few beers later, I was fine ...

Then I realised that the plank gaps were much too wide and would be far too prominent for my liking when filled with paint or wash. So I came up with the following plan: I sprayed the deck black ...

... and then scraped off with a blade so that the black paint remained in the depths like preshading. As always with my best plans, it ended up being a big mess.

Then I tried out different shades of brown, both solvent-based, acrylic and water-based, in various opacities. It resulted in a pretty patchwork.

The forecastle in particular was quite colourful ...

... which is why grey tones were used on the gangway.

But what can I say, I really didn't have such a grimy deck in mind. So I sprayed it again and stripped it off again.

In the meantime, I had remembered the other moulded parts, especially the gratings, which I had tuned to wood. That was the specification it had to match. And even though there are usually no major colour differences in the wood on original decks, except for traces of moisture, preshading with black prevents it from looking too much like a painted steel deck. You just have to throw your imagination a few little treats now and then to keep it happy. It was just a matter of finding the right balance. So I applied three glazed coats of paint until the black was only very faintly visible.



Interestingly, the plastic of the upper deck was a light beige, while the lower deck was reddish brown. This was easily remedied by applying a grey glaze under the brown glazes.

This technique also brings the area under the forecastle, which has no plank engraving, to life so well that engraving was not necessary and simple pencil strokes can substitude the engraving. I think that, given the limited visibility of this area, this is a good effort-appearance ratio.

So, quickly in with the printed parts...

...and take some beauty shots.

Build Log - Day 27 (10th & 11th Dec 2025)
 
Task 46 – Ships Wheel
My time in the shipyard is very limited this week therefore I am tackling some small tasks such as the ships wheel assembly.
 
The ships wheel is made up from 5 PE parts which were glued together, using a 1mm rod to ensure everything was aligned.
 
Next the cable drum assembly, comprising three wooden parts were glued together, once again using a 1mm rod to ensure everything was aligned.
 
I then painted the drum and ship wheel a dark walnut colour, as can be seen below.
 

 
The two end panels have nice some laser-etch lines and I decided, as this is a royal yacht, to embellish these with some paint.
 
In the photo below I have taped the two panels so the centre section can be painted royal blue and the second photo shows the end result, noting I had already added black paint the top section.
 

 
In the next set of photos more tape is used so I could add a red outline to the blue insert.

 
More tape was then added so the external edges of the panels could be painted dark walnut.

 
Test fit of the ship wheel assembly, noting the ship wheel assembly has not been glued together


 
Task 47 – Main Rail Thoughts
Before I glue the main rails in place I thought I would experiment with some different finishes.
 
This is the current natural wood finish. It looks Ok but I think it would look better if it were a bit darker in colour.

 
Gold, look nice but I am not convinced this is the best option but would fit in with the opulence of a royal yacht.

Leather, this looks OK but I am not sure this colour really complements the red and blue.
 
Dark Walnut, again looks OK but I think it is too dark.

I have decided to work one side of the boat at a time for easier access to the interior. So, I now have all the seat supports and fittings glued in place on the port side, including the inwale and knees. As part of my process, I printed out a picture from Kenchington's build log to aid in the placement of the tiny little seat supports, as I found the photos in the manual difficult to decipher.

 
Once I got those bits sanded, and trial fit, including placing the thwart to test the fit, they glued in place fairly easily, if not perfectly aligned. The seat support under the front of the "stern sheets" was the most off from fitting my hull and will require some filler under the upper part. My hull stayed very well in place on the molds during the planking, so I'm a bit baffled as to why the angles seem so far off. I have noticed a difference in plank heights from port to starboard as I test fit the thwarts, so it is likely that. Not huge, but noticeable, to me.
 
In any event, the inside of the hull is halfway there, with the inwale drying in place after a good hot tub session. I think the starboard side will progress more quickly, as I made some pencil marks indicating the placement of the supports. I also made a card stock thwart template for the forward thwart, as the kit thwart was far too wide to fit in place. I had to trim about an 1/8" off the width, and recut the notch for the frame, but it went well and didn't take very long.
 
 

More methods and practices. Other than planking when I use just the applicator 90% of the time I need no more CA than I apply with a straight pin lifting the glue from a little puddle on the paper. 

 

And for really tiny applications these applicators are unbeatable.

They do not need to be closed and stay open for a long time. If closed, just cut off a quarter of a millimeter and its fresh again.
 
Only safety hint: Start pressing gently until the air bubble rises. If it does not rise the tube immediately it is closed and needs to be cut. And if you cut after having applied too much pressure it will release quite a bit of glue until the over pressure is released.
 
Otherwise this cheap things reduced the amount of wasted glue immensely!

XXXDAn
 
 
 

Thanks Greg.  Yes I do fray the ends of the thread after I open the lay of the rope.  Then I cut the frayed ends to the length I like and do the faux splice.  
 
yes indeed the the splice is forever.  

Thanks @Keith Black, and @vvvjames poor Captain Steve was hit by a low flying seagull  and now has taken up hiding behind the pilot house  lol
lol it is  late ,time for a nap lol. Thanks for popping in.  Havein so much fun. 😆 🤣 
 
 Knocklouder  😁

@GrandpaPhil that's exactly what I did, all most. I found a picture of the Harriet Lane,  croped the wheel decal, printed two and glued them on, I used mog podge.

There is a little  trim board I will add tomorrow  after the decals are dry.
Looks ok to me, time for the big guns.
I wonder why everything is black, the gun carriages should be red wheels brown  and the gun barrel blacken  oh well all black it is . What do you all think?
Knocklouder 😁 

Bob,
 The Harriet Lane is looking really good!
 
You might be able to trace what would have been the decals right off the plan and just cut them out of normal printer paper (sealed on both sides prior to cutting).

Continuing with the WW2 theme, what about an LST with functional front doors that could be posed open or closed.  You might even be able to attract some armor modelers to buy an LST kit.
 
 

Tidied up the deficiencies in the deck today. The big one was right aft. I whittled a wedge of balsa to take future planking and inserted it where the skeleton of the hull was fell short of the deck:

Then I shaped the forward edge of an extra, transverse "plank" for the stern, leaving lots of surplus. Glued in place, that looked a mess:

But once sanded and trimmed, with a vertical edge at the extreme stern (as called for by the instructions), it looked quite nice:

There is more shaping to do, below the deck's sheer line, but that will come with fairing, planking and the likely filling of hollows here and there.
 
By the time that last image was taken, I had brushed on a first coat of Wipe-on-Poly -- brushed as I wanted to keep it clear of points where glue should go in future, though I didn't succeed as well as I should have. Still, while awaiting a second coat of Poly, I have:

The extra piece added across the ends of the planks, at the forward end of the cockpit, is basswood scrap but dipped in golden-oak stain, mostly just for the effect of the visual contrast but also the suggestion of a hardwood edge protecting the exposed corner and the end grain. I doubt that that was normal on Muscongus Bay centreboarders but they certainly could have been built that way if anyone wanted to.
 
Aside from a gentle sanding and a second coat of Poly later this evening, that brings the model to completion of Step 8 of the instructions. Next up: Fairing the hull.
 
Trevor