Airfix 1/72 Do-17v1
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KIT # |
4014 |
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PRICE: |
$ |
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DECALS: |
See review |
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REVIEW : |
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NOTES: |
Conversion us RS Resin set |
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HISTORY |
The fledgling Luftwaffe was looking for aircraft to fill the many needs of its' rebuilding. On the off chance of the airline Lufthansa decided against using the passenger restricted Do-17 coming to the RLM's attention was by pure luck. What surely would have been a terribly cramped passenger plane was highly regarded by the test pilots that flew it in late 1937. Its high speed astonished the crowds that gathered at International air shows of the time. The militarization of this sleek plane came at a cost of lower speeds, which was it's only defensive.
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THE KIT |
We've all had this kit at one time or another; it's like
having chicken pocks or the flu. Perhaps not that bad, and in actuality, this
kit has stood the test of time quite well. It was surprising to find the MPC
version of this kit was virtually free of flash, and apart from some raised
panel lines, had very nice surface features. The RS Resin conversion is the
animal we have to tackle in order to backdate the Do-17E/F to the original V-1
model. The conversion itself is fairly simple and the pieces are up to RS's
usual quality. The hardest part of this kit has got to be the forthcoming use of
metallic paints to represent the unpainted plane as it was rolled out.
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CONSTRUCTION |
The first task at hand was drilling 4 holes that are the windows for the passengers, having measured the needed holes; they are made to 4mm in diameter. The instructions are very clear as to where to cut and drill the donor kit. The tail was lopped off to accept the new single rudder and tailplanes. Lastly the nose was modified for the sharp tapered nose cone. A modest interior was used, no resin, just some plastic card and kit parts. The entire kit was assembled by the instructions, sans the wheels, which are horrible little donut things and best replaced with the True Details wheels. A few of the raised rivets and lines are lightly sanded done, but most of the surfaces are engraved anyway.
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PAINT |
Think 1937 when you do a conversion like this, think of sleek,
sexy, speed. Think of no camouflage, yikes! The 'Flying Pencil' was rolled out
of the hanger with nothing but a smile, no markings or anything to ruin the
lines and appearance. This was a lesson in using metallic paints 101. The entire
kit went together without much ado, masking and spraying Testors metallic was
not that big of a deal either? The hard part was knowing when to stop making
different shaded panels and say enough is enough.
The entire airframe was clear coated with Future floor wax to facilitate handling, but no decals are needed in this conversion. Perhaps those wishing to make the V-2 through V-4 might look into the correct codes used on the aircraft, but here is a brand new V-1.
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CONCLUSIONS |
The Airfix/MPC kit is relatively easy to come by still, and
with some careful cutting and blending makes into a very sleek Dornier that was
originally designed for the public sector. The RS conversion is only about 15
USD, but is more rewarding than it's modest price. Take a step on the wild side
and try a conversion of your favorite aircraft, you'll never look at that
aircraft the same way again. Many kudos to RS for making this item, it's an 8
out of 10 on my Fun-O-Meter.
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