Hobbycrafts 48th Do-17Z

[uscusn]

Grasshopper in the BOB GB is building this particular kit. And so with great interest I read how he approached the assembly of that kit. So for nostalgia I took some images of my Do-17Z that I had built about 10 years ago. I no longer have the box, these days I usually take images of them when I break it out the stash to build it. But this kit was built when digital cameras were just in their infancy. Though an avid photographer, just didn't take pictures of my models back then. When I picked this kit up from Discount Hobbies in Utica,NY (when Jim had that Hobby Shop Rolling) it was one of several kits I purchased. I was just getting back into the hobby again. It caught my eye as it was affordable, it was different and it was in 48th scale. There weren't too many twin eng Luftwaffe bombers then and this was such an unusual subject at the time. I didn't know then it had issues, it looked like a Do-17Z. Doing some research was quite difficult as the internet then did not offer much. Model sites then were few and far between, if ARC was up then I was not aware of it.

I remember it built up ok, the decals didn't thrill me. Tried looking for a set of DO-17 decals from Microscale that no longer existed. (Ebay had not existed then either). So I just built it up and painted it. It sat for about a year while trying to come up with a set of decals. About this time I picked up the PM He-111 kit and a set of Aeromaster decals. Finally deciding that I wanted to finally finish the "Flying Pencil" I decided to create a fictitious unit that flew this plane, using Aeromaster decals for the Iron Crossed and Swastikas I decaled it and finally finished it.

I had stated in another post that this was strictly OOB. I did remember that I did find a set of True Details resin wheel set. So I did use them along with the Aeromaster Decals. Other than that, everything else is stock. Paints used was Aeromaster Acrylics, standard Schwarz Grun,Dunkel Grun over HellBlau (RLM 70/71/65). MM Gun metal for the Exhaust stacks, MM Flat Black for the props. Aeromaster Tire Black for the tires. RLM 02 for the interior components, landing gear bays and landing gear.

At the time with the info available, masking the scheme required a hard edge for the camouflage pattern. So this was rather tedious. But the hardest part was masking each window panel for the canopy and nose glazing. I was pretty happy how it turned out at the end. Still have yet to see another one built up other the few here online. Does anyone know if there is any DO-17's that still exist of any variant?

Though all in all as I look back now and the reviews that have since posted over the years. The kit does have it's critics. But hey it's a DO-17Z, it has the unusual shape of the airframe. Though it does have it's faults. Basic interior but well it's ok for me. Too bad there isn't much of any upgrade of any kind available in the aftermarket side. Now we do have Eduards PE seatbelts which would greatly enhance the seats. But Grasshopper has stepped up with some modeling skills to improve the kit. It's nice to see someone tackle this kit.

More images to follow.

Chuck

Fly Navy

Edited January 1, 2006 by uscusn

[uscusn]

Being a dark rainy day, I wish I could've take images outside. Anyway had to blow off all the dust which explains the mess around the wheels under the plane.

I used a wash and for the first time preshading the undersurfaces before airbrushing the Lt Blue. I had built up an Me-109 prior to this kit. And seems it looked way to clean underneath. So reading up on a technique I read in FSM at the time.

The paint chipping was actually an accident on the topside and undersurfaces. This is the result with all the masking and some of the paint lifting up when removing the masks. So instead of fretting about it. (ok I did fret) I just got some alum paint and painted the bare exposed plastic. I really didn't want to repaint.

So there one of my early builds before digital cameras, Windows 95 was the way to go, Pentium II chips was the rage. And all the games were on floppy discs. With that Happy New Year :lol:

Chuck

Fly Navy