New schemes for Luftwaffe 'Flying Pencil' bomber

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.

Taking a break from featuring scale modelling representations of British aircraft types this week, the latest impending model addition to the 2022 range coming under the Workbench spotlight marks the welcome return of a Luftwaffe classic, a bomber which was as unique in its appearance as it was one of the most advanced aircraft in the world, when it made its unit introduction. One of the Luftwaffe's main strike bombers at the start of the Second World War, we will be looking at the welcome return of the 1/72nd scale Dornier Do.17z, only the third time this beautiful kit has taken its place in the range and the first time it has been included for several years. As we prepare for its imminent release, we will be taking a look at the history behind this distinctive bomber, showcasing the evocative artwork produced in support of this release, before featuring the two interesting scheme options which will be included with this kit.

Before we do and with RIAT still fresh in our minds, may we please take a moment to draw your attention to an exciting opportunity for all the aviation photographers amongst our number. How would you like to be in with the chance of being voted our first Airfix Aviation Photographer of the year? If this is of interest to you, all you have to do is unleash between one and five of the many thousands of photographs just lying forlornly on your hard drives and send them to our competition address to be in with a chance. The winning picture doesn't have to be taken with the most expensive camera gear, or even a traditional camera, if you have a creative, impactful picture taken with your phone, you have just as much chance as anyone of scooping the handsome prize, not to mention this notable accolade. 

For details of how to enter this exciting new competition, please head for the Airfix Aviation Photo Awards 2022 page in the Community section of the Airfix website for all the relevant details. The winning picture has probably already been taken, so all you have to do is rescue it from the depths of your hard drive and allow it to receive the acclaim it deserves - a selection of the submitted imagery will be included in a special blog at the end of the year and we very much look forward to seeing how modellers are just as created with their cameras as they are with their builds.

Lufthansa's fast mail aeroplane turned 'Schnellbomber'

Airfix artwork helps to bring the history of aviation to life and give modellers lots of inspiration for their latest build project.

One of a number of ground-breaking aircraft types which can trace their origins back to the early 1930s and a period which brought about great change in the world of aviation, the Dornier Do.17 was designed in response to a German requirement for a freight carrying aircraft for the national railway, and a high speed mail aeroplane for the state airline Lufthansa. Even though Germany was in a period of extreme political turmoil at the time, development of the new aircraft continued apace and once the Nazi Party had assumed control, was given renewed impetus and classified as a priority project. As development continued, the designation of the aircraft changed slightly, to that of a high speed freight aircraft featuring 'Special Equipment' and as the first development mock-up aircraft was unveiled, work on equipping the aircraft with armament and a bomb release system was already well underway. In aviation terms, the new Dornier freighter was very much a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Flight testing of the new aircraft began in November 1934, but would not progress without incident. The first prototype aircraft featured a single tail unit and suffered from instability issues whilst in the air, so subsequent development aircraft and indeed future production machines would incorporate a distinctive twin tail boom configuration, a definite identifying feature of the type. The narrow, slender fuselage of the new aircraft would eventually be deemed too restrictive for use as a mail carrying aircraft by Lufthansa, a decision which initially stalled further development, however, everything would change once Lufthansa's chief pilot had the opportunity to fly one of the stored prototypes. Really putting the Dornier design through its paces, he effectively flew an aerobatic routine in this relatively large aeroplane and on landing, described the aircraft as having almost fighter-like performance. Furthermore, if improvements were made regarding flight stability, it could be an outstanding high-speed bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

Dornier engineers were instructed to modify the aircraft in line with these recommendations, with the aircraft now receiving official backing and the intention to proceed towards production. The aircraft would now shed its initial subterfuge and advance as the E-1 high speed bomber version and F-1 reconnaissance aircraft for the Luftwaffe, types which would eventually enter squadron service from early 1937.

Planform of the distinctive Dornier Do.17, an aircraft which was known as the 'Flying Pencil'.

At the time of its introduction, the Dornier Do.17 was a highly advanced aircraft. Fast and agile, possessing an extremely distinctive profile, the aircraft would soon inherit the name by which it would become infamous, the Luftwaffe's 'Flying Pencil', a name by which it would be referred to throughout its service career, by both friend and foe alike. These first ultra-sleek aircraft would be powered by Daimler-Benz in-line engines, however, the constant shortage of engines added to a need to endow the aircraft with ever greater power would see the aircraft equipped with several different powerplants, including the Bramo Fafnir radial engine, which gave the aircraft its classic profile and the one by which most modellers will recognize it.

Making its combat introduction during the Spanish Civil War, the aircraft did prove to be capable of outrunning most of the fighter aircraft sent to challenge it and could even match early versions of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter for speed in level flight. Having said that, the Dornier did exhibit several weaknesses, not least of which was the bomber's lack of adequate defensive armament. This would lead to a redesign of the front end of the bomber, making it deeper and featuring a more heavily glazed nose, modifications which allowed the installation of more defensive firepower to be carried. It also gave the aircraft less of the slender appearance for which it had become famous, making it look much more aggressive and sinister than its predecessors, however, by that time, the aircraft's 'Flying Pencil' nickname was already in common use and would not be altered following these changes.

The main variant of the Dornier Do.17 series was the 'Z' model, an aircraft which would benefit from structural and equipment modifications as a result of combat experiences gained during the Spanish Civil War. With its redesigned crew compartment and greater defensive armament, the Do.19z gave a good account of itself during the early stages of the Second World War, however, once the Luftwaffe came up against the latest breed of fighter aircraft during the Battle of Britain, it was cruelly discovered that the performance advantages the first aircraft to enter service possessed had now been overtaken by the latest breed of fighter aircraft.

The new artwork produced in support of the impending third release from our impressive Dornier Do.17z tooling, one which takes the fascinating story behind the lead scheme as its inspiration.

With so many aircraft already in service, the Dornier was an incredibly important asset for the Luftwaffe, with brave crews operating what was effectively an obsolete aircraft type and the slowest of the trio of strike bombers heading for Britain. With their engines optimized for low altitude operations, Dornier Do.17 bombers were required to fly daring low altitude strike raids against specific targets and a great personal risk to their crews, flying at almost wavetop height in order to evade Britain's radar defences, before popping up over the coast and heading inland for their assigned targets at full speed. At these altitudes, any damage sustained from either striking a high obstacle or being hit by ground fire could often be fatal for crews, however despite this, they continued to be used for such missions and continued to suffer losses.

The Dornier's disappointing performance during the Battle of Britain finally confirmed fears that the aircraft was no longer suitable as a high altitude bomber for the Luftwaffe, however, it would continue to be used in ever decreasing numbers in several different theatres and in a number of different roles over the next few years. Production of the Dornier Do.17 would come to an end during the summer of 1940, as more capable bomber types started to enter Luftwaffe service. Some aircraft were modified for use as nightfighters and using the latest airborne interception radar equipment, would also have the distinction of helping to establish Germany's nightfighter defence system and in the process, would claim many a Bomber Command aircraft in the process.

The Dornier Do.17 was a highly distinctive aircraft and one which definitely lends itself to representation in the modelling world. Whilst its use during the Battle of Britain is probably the most interesting aspect of the aircraft's operational service, the type also represents a fascinating insight into European aircraft development during the tumultuous 1930s and how Germany overcame the international restrictions imposed on it to develop aircraft capable of taking Europe to war. 

This highly detailed kit allows modellers to produce a faithful representation of this famous Second World War bomber and as this latest re-introduction marks only the third time this kit has been available and the first time it has been in an Airfix range for several years, there will no doubt be many Workbench readers who will be looking forward to reacquainting themselves with this classic Luftwaffe bomber in kit form. With that in mind, let's take a look at the two scheme options which will be included with this latest 1/72nd scale Dornier Do.17z release.

Scheme A - Dornier Do.17Z F1+DT, Aircraft crewed by Hauptmann Joachim Roth, Oberleutnant Rudolf Lamberty, Hauptmann Gustav Peters, Oberfeldwebel Valentin Geier and Feldwebel Hugo Eberhard, 9./Kampfgeschwader 76, Cormeilles-en-Vexin, Northern France, 1940 - Shot down near Biggin Hill, Kent, August 18th 1940.

In the late morning of 18th August 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain, nine Dornier Do.17z bombers of the 9th Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 76 prepared to take off from their base at Cormeilles-en-Vexin, north of Paris, for a daring raid into British airspace. The unit was specialised in performing low altitude interdictor strikes and they had been assigned to attack the major Fighter Command airfield at Kenley, one of three stations given the responsibility of defending London, the other two being Biggin Hill and Croydon. The raid was part of a larger plan which involved many other aircraft attacking Britain on that day, with the intention of luring the RAF away from their bases, leaving them undefended and vulnerable to such precision low altitude attacks. The Dorniers had each been loaded with 20 x 110 lb bombs which had each been primed with a new type of fuse, one which was set to detonate when released from an altitude of 50 ft or higher.

Having great faith in their accomplished commander, navigator Hauptmann Joachim Roth, who was flying in the lead aircraft F1+DT, every man would have been hoping that the main raid and their unexpected low altitude attack would catch Fighter Command off guard, allowing them to make their attack and head back to base without attracting too much attention, however, that very much depended on an element of surprise and the aircraft arriving over Kenley at exactly the allotted time. As the formation approached Beachy Head, they were spotted by the local Observer Corps who immediately raised the alarm and whilst uncertain of their intended target at that time, began tracking the Dorniers as they headed inland. Just as they had intended, the larger attacking force of German aircraft had attracted the attentions of the RAF and two fighter Squadrons each from Kenley and Biggin Hill were climbing to intercept this larger force, with air raid sirens sounding right across southern England. Unfortunately for Hauptmann Roth and the attacking Dorniers though, bad weather over France had delayed the take-off of the main force and things were about to go drastically wrong.

Flying inland towards Brighton, before turning north on the run in to their target, Roth skilfully brought his attacking force to their optimum attack position at the correct height, but their was a problem. He expected to find Kenley in a state of disarray following the earlier high altitude attack, but everything appeared to be calm. Of even greater concern than this, the sky was full of defending fighter aircraft and it seemed as if every anti-aircraft gun in the south of England was facing in their direction, ready to fill the air with lead. With the Observer Corps tracking the raid, it had become clear that Kenley, or one of the other nearby stations was the intended target for the hedge-hopping Dorniers, but with their fighters committed to the main attack, something drastic had to be done. Although usually only authorised at Group HQ level, a quick thinking Wing Commander instructed all available fighters in the area to scramble in order to challenge the incoming raid, with those unable to take part in the fight to get as far from the area as possible, an action which not only saved many lives, but also many precious fighters at a time when they were needed most.

Full scheme details for the RAF Kenley lead raider on 18th August 1940.

As the Dorniers approached Kenley, the anti-aircraft batteries opened fire and the Hurricanes of No.111 Squadron curved in behind the bombers to engage them - committed to the attack, the force had no option but to stay on course and release their bombs. The lead Dornier F1+DT which was being flown by Olt. Rudolf Lamberty and navigated by Hptm Roth released their bombs over the airfield's hangars, gaining altitude slightly to avoid the parachutes and cables they employed, only to be hit in the port wing by a Bofors shell, which immediately caused a fire to break out. Attacked by two Hurricanes from No.111 Squadron almost before they had left the boundary of the airfield, the crew knew the situation was futile and the pilot looked for a suitable piece of land to bring the bomber down. Some members of the crew decided to take to their parachutes, but at this extremely low altitude, all would suffer injury due to the fact that their parachutes did not have time to inflate fully and break their falls.

Lamberty and Roth stayed with the bomber until it crash landed at Milking Lane Farm, Leaves Green, near Biggin Hill, with both managing to scramble free of the burning wreckage, even though they had sustained injuries in the fire. The entire five man crew of the bomber survived these dramatic incidents and were taken into captivity.

As an interesting postscript to this account, although Kenley's anti-aircraft batteries probably inflicted the telling blow on the Dornier, which was more than likely finished off by two Hurricanes of No.111 Squadron, the actual credit for finishing off the bomber was given to a local Home Guard unit who were in the area practicing with their newly acquired rifles. Having seen the stricken bomber approaching their position, the unit's commander ordered his men to fire on the aircraft, which came down only yards away from where they were gathered. Reports of the incident must have acted as a significant morale boost for Home Guard units all over the country, at a time when the threat of invasion was still very real - quite a fortuitous opportunity for the Government. 

Of the attacking force of nine Dornier Do.17s sent to target RAF Kenley on that morning, four, including F1+DT were destroyed, the remaining five all sustained damage and only two aircraft managed to make it back to their home base at Cormeilles-en-Vexin.     

Scheme B - Dornier Do.17Z U5+BH, 1./Kampfgeschwader 2, Menidi (Tatoi) aerodrome, Greece, May 1941.

    
From the outset, the Dornier Do.17 was intended to be the first of a new breed of fast attack aircraft referred to as a Schnellbomber and was intended to carry out lightning bombing attacks at speeds which made it almost impervious to enemy fighter interception. With its sleek tapering fuselage, the Do.17 was nicknamed ‘The Flying Pencil’ and whilst its design certainly prevented the aircraft from carrying anything other than a modest bomb load, its profile did make it more difficult to target during the melee of a dogfight. Seeing extensive operational service during the early part of WWII, the Dornier Do.17s of Kampfgeschwader 2 would be committed to support Luftwaffe operations during ‘Operation Marita’ as the Wehrmacht attempted to invade Allied occupied Greece, following a failed Italian offensive. Sent to attack ground and coastal targets, the bombers would also take a heavy toll of Allied shipping right across the Mediterranean theatre.

Although the Dornier Do.17z was one of the feared components of the Wehrmacht’s Blitzkrieg offensive and saw extensive service during the early months of the Second World War, it was already beginning to show its operational limitations and was definitely no match for the modern monoplane fighters of the Royal Air Force. Blooded in combat during the Spanish Civil War, by the time of the Battle of Britain, the aircraft was the slowest of the Luftwaffe's main attack bombers and despite its slender profile and excellent handling qualities, the lack of power operated defensive heavy armament left Dornier crews extremely vulnerable to enemy fighter attack.

Scheme details for this Greek based Dornier Do.17z, one which operated from the airfield at Athens-Tatoi.

Following 'Operation Marita' and the German invasion of Greece, the former RAF airfield at Athens-Tatoi was taken over by the Luftwaffe from April 1941 and would be used extensively for strike operations from that date until the Germans withdrew from the country. Featuring a hard sand and gravel runway and with a collection of large and small hangars to support maintenance operations, the airfield was protected by three heavy anti-aircraft batteries and six lighter flak positions, with a network of deadly barbed wire coils protecting the boundary of the airfield and any number of machine guns also protecting this important airfield from attack.

Like many of the Luftwaffe’s bomber units, Kampfgeschwader 2 ‘Holzhammer’ (Mallet) would see service throughout the Second World War, operating a variety of different aircraft types across many theatres of operation. Statistics which throw the cost of war starkly into focus, this particular unit would lose no fewer than 767 aircraft destroyed during the war, with a further 158 machines damaged during the conflict. The war would also see over 2,700 of its personnel killed, wounded or posted as missing in action. 

One of the most distinctive aircraft of the Second World War, this latest release from our 1/72nd scale Dornier Do.17 tooling will once again bring this classic Luftwaffe bomber subject to a wider modelling audience and with two appealing schemes to choose from, it might be time for the 'Flying Pencil' to make its way onto your workstation in the weeks to come. This latest Do.17 release should be available in around three weeks’ time.

Something to keep an eye out for, this box artwork presentation should be on display in your local model shop in around three weeks’ time.

That’s all we have for you in this latest edition, but we will be back with more project updates for you next week. As always, we are interested to hear your views on all things Airfix and particularly in relation to our Workbench blog, so if you ever feel like dropping us a quick line, please use our workbench@airfix.com contact e-mail address.
 
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