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The Dornier Do.335 Pfeil - Airframe & Miniature 9


Mike

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The Dornier Do.335 Pfeil

A Complete Guide To The Luftwaffe's Fastest Piston Engined Fighter

Valiant Wings Publishing

 

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The Do.335 was The Nazi's last attempt to squeeze more power from the piston-engine by installing one at each end of the fuselage driving two props without the need for draggy engine pods on the wings.  It was a large fighter, but incredibly fast, earning the name Arrow (German: Pfeil).  Fortunately for the Allies it came too late to see much service, so could not change the course of the war, but it was a worrying prospect for Allied piston-engined fighters if ever they encountered one.  Despite big plans involving many variants and improvements, only a few types saw service, and in tiny quantities, often for special operations that required the prodigious speed that the airframe could achieve.

 

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Perfect bound in a glossy card cover the book extends to 144 pages, and includes a set of 1:48 plans on the inside back cover that cover a number of variants, and show the size of this monster quite well.  This edition is written as usual by the prolific Richard A Franks, with profiles by Richard J Caruana, both of whom are probably well known to most readers already.  As with the rest of the series, the content is broken down into three sections, the first of which gives a concise history of the type, its development, and a limited amount of information about the projected variants that never left the drawing board.  A decision was taken in planning the book not to delve too deeply into the "what if" paper projects, as there were many that would have expanded the scope of the book to monstrous proportions.  The second chapter is the bit we're all interested in as modellers, as it details the available kits, and goes on to build a selection from different manufacturers and in different scales with the models built by some quite well-known names.

 

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There are reference photos aplenty in the following section, from period and contemporary photos and drawings, plus of course the isometric drawings of the different variants that is a boon to anyone like myself that can't remember things for toffee!  From the diminutive Göpingen Gö.9 test airframe (a sort-of miniaturised Do.17 with pusher prop) to the bonkers Do.635 Zwilling (yes – two airframes joined on a central aerofoil section), each one is described briefly with the differences and notable points discussed in the surrounding captions.  I suddenly have the urge for two more Pfeils in my collection… dammit! :owww:

 

The full chapter layout is as follows:

 

Airframe Chapters

  1. Evolution – Do.335 Prototypes
  2. Evolution – The A-series
  3. Evolution – The B-series
  4. Projects and Drawing Board Designs
  5. Camouflage and Markings
  6. Colour Profiles

 

Miniature Chapters

  1. Do.335 Kits
  2. Building a Selection
  3. Building a Collection
  4. In Detail: The Do.335
  • Cockpit & Canopy
  • Fuselage
  • Tail
  • Engine, Propeller & Cowlings
  • Wings
  • Undercarriage
  • Armament, Ordnance, Sighting & Camera
  • Access Panels

 

Appendices

  1. Do.335 Kit List
  2. Do.335 Accessory List
  3. Do.335 Decal & Mask List
  4. Bibliography

 

1:48 Scale Plans Fold Out

 

Conclusion

A really useful book of an impressive aircraft that never achieved its true potential, and is nonetheless a personal favourite of mine.  There is a lot of detail within the pages that will be a boon to the modeller, as well as the more general aviation enthusiast.  There is a small box on one of the inside pages dedicated to Richard's cat Mandy, who died from cancer during the writing of the book.  Having lost my cat Piglet this year, I would like to extend my condolences on their loss.

 

Highly recommended.

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Review sample courtesy of

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