World War in a “Z” (with apologies to Brad Pitt)

This is the Hobbycraft Canada 1/48th Dornier Do-17Z, German medium bomber. Because the earlier version had a particularly narrow fuselage, it was sometimes called the Flying Pencil. I think the Z transformed it into the Tadpole!

Though the fastest of the big three (He-111, Ju-88 and Do-17), it was also the bomber carrying the lightest bomb load -- hardly carrying a ton of explosives at normal ranges. The crew was clustered together in the glass house for morale purposes, but often meant one enemy strafing run got everybody. And though the cockpit featured four to five 7.9mm mgs, three of them were manned by a single crewman.

The Hobbycraft kit is very basic, though acceptably accurate in outline, it is clearly lacking in interior and wheel wells. I enhanced the cockpit with floors, control stick, foot pedals, seats w/ belts and guns with reloads. The camo is RLM 70/71.

The markings are from the kit and portray an aircraft during the Battle of Britain. My understanding of the white bars on the starboard wing are for squadron formation flying.

The fit was not bad, with minimal flash and restrained recessed panel lines.

It is what it is, and I recommend it to any one interested in early war bombers in 1/48 scale.

1 additional image. Click to enlarge.