Dornier
Do 217E-3/E-4/E-5
German WW II Bomber

Italeri, 1/72 scale
 

Reviewed by Glen Porter

Italeri's 1/72 scale Dornier Do 217E will be available online from Squadron.com

For quite a few years now I've had an Italeri Dornier Do 217K and the night-fighter Dornier Do 217N socked away, because, along with a vac-formed nose, that was the only way to get a good Dornier Do 217E.

Now Italeri have solved the problem by altering the Dornier Do 217K moulds to produce a highly detailed Dornier Do 217E.

Some modellers may ask, “What's the difference?” Well, the K had the one-piece glazed nose, while the E has the stepped nose and the Night-Fighter has the step but no nose glazing. Now, I can build all three. Of course, whether I live long enough, that's another thing…

Now stop rambling and tell 'em about the kit. Okay, here goes.

The altered parts are the front of the fuselage halves along with a different instrument panel and control column on the main light grey sprues.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

The clear sprue has a separate very clear canopy and nose cone without provision for the side hand-held guns. The gun turret and ventral gun position are the same as the K.

Italeri has released two Ks. The K-1 was a pure bomber and the K-2, which was designed to carry the Fritz-X glider bomb and the Henschel Hs-293 guided missile. The K-2 also had extended wings and it is from the K-2 moulds that the E has been based. You don't get the extended wings in the E kit but provision is there if you wanted to pinch them out of the K kit.

You don't get the two Fritz-X glider bombs from the K, but you do get a new Hs 293 and it is almost a kit in its own right. With 17 parts on the sprue, you get one missile, two mounts and a drop tank for the other side and the missile and tank have nice engraved panel lines although they are raised on the mounts.

Talking of raised details, those on the rest of the model, because it's from the older K kit, are very subdued and if your one who doesn't mind them, you'll be happy. On the other hand, there's not so many that it would be a problem to re-scribe them. Either way, good stuff.

I have two teeny weeny little quibbles with this kit. Here we go (some people are never happy. Shush you) I think Italeri have missed an opportunity here, to add some detail to the interior of the cockpit and to correct the profile of the two engine cowlings. Nit-picking may-be, but I just want to let people know that these two very small problems haven't been fixed.

The decals are all new, and very nice too (hey, that rhymes). Markings for 4 aircraft with a complete set of stencils, 2 E-5 Hs-293 carriers from KG 100 in 1944, a night bomber E-4 from KG 40, in France, 1942 and an E-3 day bomber from KG 2. The E-4 has a black under-surface and all have RLM 72/73 uppers.

Even with the above minor complaints, I am very excited about this kit. I've wanted to build one for years but as I'm not very good with vac-formed parts, I've put it off in the hope that someone would release one.

Thank you Mr Italeri.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Italeri for the review sample