It’s alive! - 1/72nd Airfix Do17E conversion to Do17P Frankendornier

[Heather Kay]

This will be my first Work In Progress thread, and I thought I’d kick off with what I hope might turn into a good one.

 

Be prepared, though, for some lengthy gaps in progress as I only let myself work on play stuff when I feel I’ve earned the time. I am self-employed, and I suppose I’m lucky enough to be a full-time professional model maker. I generally specialise in railway subjects, at O gauge (1/43rd scale), and so building model aeroplanes is very much a relaxation for me.

 

Some background about me, for those who didn’t see my New Member thread. I am very focused in my collection. Well, I was focused. Working to 1/72nd scale, my aim was to make representations of at least one of each type of plane that flew in the Battle of Britain. Starting out with just RAF Fighter Command (Spitfire, Hurricane, Defiant, Blenheim, Gladiator) and the Luftwaffe and Italian forces ranged against them. The Battle has been an obsession for me since my school days, around the time of the 40th anniversary.

 

I soon started to spread my wings, as it were, backwards in time to encompass Operation Dynamo, then the Battle of France, the Phoney War, and in the end, I’ve decided to include the Night Blitz and even extend to the Norway campaign. I now find I’m collecting aircraft that operated in the Northern and Western European theatres for the whole of 1940. So, that’s all the RAF commands and support squadrons, Fleet Air Arm, Dutch, Belgian, French, Norwegian air forces, Luftwaffe and the Italian contingent.

 

At some point, perhaps I should start a gallery thread to show the aircraft I’ve built so far, and those that will be added in due course. That’ll be for another day.

 

All that is a rather long-winded way to introduce the theme of this build, the Dornier Do17P. The Do17 development history is long and complex, and I can do no better than point you at the various online resources, including Wikipedia. Suffice to say, I already had the main Do17Z variant represented in my collection, in both the old Revell (ex-Monogram) boxing from some decades ago and the more recent Airfix one. I hadn’t originally intended on acquiring an earlier variant, though Airfix had produced the kit for the Do17E/F until relatively recently. However, a trip to a model show earlier this year saw a Do17E/F up for sale at a fair price on a stall - how could I resist?

 

 

The 1986-style box was a little tired, but I was assured everything was in there. In fact, the stall holder insisted I should check all was in order. Sure enough, although some parts were rattling around loose, it all seemed complete.

 

 

The moulding is in a hard light blue plastic. I was taken right back to my early days of sticky-fingered model building on the kitchen table! Surprisingly little flash was evident, though there were signs of age in the mould with mild sink marks and slight misregistration here and there. I was surprised to see quite a lot of detail available to fit out the cockpit. When was this kit first made?

 

 

Crikey! 1971! Colour me even more surprised about the interior details, then! Outside, the Haldane Place Demon Riveter had been somewhat restrained, and there were even - gasp! - recessed panel lines.

 

 

The instructions are old enough to still list the Airfix enamel colours. More memories came flooding back!

 

The problem I had, though, was the Do17E was properly old hat by the start of 1940. I rummaged through my references to see if I could find any instances of an E or F in squadron service anywhere during 1940. All I could turn up was examples of the Do17M and P, meteorological and photo reconnaissance variants. As far as I could tell the biggest difference between the 17E and 17P was the engines. The E had BMW V1 inline units, the M and P had Bramo Fafnir radials, like the Z series. An idea began to form in my mind.

 

A couple of decades ago, I built the Revell Do17Z to represent an aircraft that was brought down near Maidstone during the Battle of Britain. I threw everything at it, PE details, resin wheels and so on. I used the kit transparencies, as they were preferable to the vac-form alternatives I could find. Me being me, I wanted to open the pilot’s sliding window - and I cracked the transparency beyond repair!

 

I went out and bought another kit, just for the cockpit greenhouse. Those were the days when I could afford to do such things. The remainder of the Revell kit remained untouched in the box ever since. I wondered, therefore, if I might be able to combine the Revell and Airfix kits and produce a Do17M or P. I had noted the Airfix kit used the same basic assembly arrangement for fitting the wings to the fuselage. If I was lucky, I might even be able to replace the whole wing assembly, rather than graft the engine pods onto the Airfix wings.

 

Digging out the Revell box, I feverishly taped the wings together. I did the same with the Airfix fuselage halves.

 

 

Now, that was encouraging.

 

 

Some mild surgery, and no doubt a fair whack of filler, but this approach might well work. The Revell box might also yield various alternative parts, too. It looks like I can definitely create a Frankendornier to get a Do17P for my collection.

 

Since my quick tests, I have decided to invest in aftermarket transparencies, PE details and resin wheels. If I’m going to do the work, I may as well do it properly! So far, no glue has been deployed, and it might be a while yet, but I wanted to start the thread to whet my appetite and see what you all think.

 

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Great project!  

[clive_t]

I'm in! This promises to be very interesting

 

[Martian]

This looks like a very promising build, I shall be watching with interest.

 

Martian 👽

[Heather Kay]

All welcome! Expect some plastic bodgery and pratfalls along the way. 😉

[clive_t]

Slightly off topic, but regarding your thread intro, how did you get to be a professional model maker? Too late for me I am sure, but it sounds like a dream job!

[Heather Kay]

2 minutes ago, clive_t said:

Slightly off topic, but regarding your thread intro, how did you get to be a professional model maker? Too late for me I am sure, but it sounds like a dream job!

I sort of fell into it. Model railways is a hobby I share with my partner. When I was finding it hard to find freelance graphic design work, or even any work  the 2008 crash, a friend asked if I’d build a BR Mk1 kit for him. He suggested I contact the kit maker to see if they might push some commissioned work my way. I did, and left it at that. Within six months I had about five commissions on my books. That was five years ago, and it’s still going. I wish I’d done it ten years ago!

[RidgeRunner]

Hi Heather,

 

I'm interested to see how this will work out as the Do17/217 series was always attractive to me.

 

welcome to the gang  

 

Martin

[Terry1954]

Interesting project indeed. I'm in for the ride.

 

Terry

[dogsbody]

You are not the first to attempt this mash-up. If my ancient, over-abused brain remembers correctly, there was a magazine article, done in the mid to late 70's, where someone else did the same. It might have been in Scale Modeller, but I'm not sure. I built the Airfix Do17E in about 1973 and I really liked it. I even managed to brush-paint a fairly good 3-colour splinter camo.

 

I shall be following your build.

 

 

Chris

[Azgaron]

Interesting project! Good start!

 

Håkan

 

[JosephLalor]

Hi Heather, that looks like an ambitious project, best of luck with the build.  Your name's familiar - Hairy Sticks Only?

[StephenCJ]

Welcome Heather.  I gonna break out some Macca nuts, as I can't stand popcorn, and watch some plastic surgery.

 

Stephen

[Heather Kay]

Thanks for the interest, folks! As I said, progress may be sporadic as paying work takes precedence at the moment. I’m also being sidetracked by some "set decoration" in the form of various vehicles to populate photos. More on those another time, I expect.

[Harry_the_Spider]

Have you got a link to your other professional stuff?

 

Edit - Found it by the power of Googling.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Harry_the_Spider

[Heather Kay]

12 minutes ago, Harry_the_Spider said:

Have you got a link to your other professional stuff?

 

Edit - Found it by the power of Googling.

 

👍

 

It's also hidden in my signature, but you may have them turned off.

[AdrianMF]

Looks like a great project! The Airfix kit is surprisingly nice for the era. I have never seen the Revell kit (or the Frog one for that matter) but I hope it's as good.

 

I have a 17E lurking in the cupboard that I want to convert to the V2 prototype, which at one point had the nose quite elegantly faired over to make a fast transport version.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Heather Kay]

This is what I did with the Revell kit...

 

Dornier Do17Z by Heather Kavanagh, on Flickr

 

I've since replaced the antenna wires, having discovered Eezeeline!

 

I think the Airfix and Revell kits are about evens. They’re of their time, but scrub up well with some effort. I’m looking forward to seeing if my effort will turn out as well.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Heather Kay

[elger]

Cool project! Just a little heads up, in case you weren't aware, the 17P nacelles are shorter on the underside than those of the 17Z. (This made me reconsider undertaking this in 1/48 using the better parts of ICM 17Z to improve the Hobbycraft kit).

[Heather Kay]

18 minutes ago, elger said:

Just a little heads up, in case you weren't aware, the 17P nacelles are shorter on the underside than those of the 17Z.

Noted, thanks! I haven't got into studying plans properly yet, so I'll have to take that on board and decide the best course of action.

[Martian]

Just checked out some of your stuff, great modelling. You have been hiding your light under a bushel for far too long!

 

Martian 👽

 

(In just seven days she will make us a Dornier) Apologies to Frank N Furter.

[Heather Kay]

Thanks Martian! I've been very active in the model railway-orientated forums, and Airfix modelling appears on their forum. I lurked here for a good while before plucking up the courage to join, but I’m glad I did.

 

Now, seven days? That might be a stretch. Seven months, perhaps.

[Azgaron]

Had a look too! Very nice builds! Bookmarked your site!

 

Håkan

 

[Martian]

12 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

Thanks Martian! I've been very active in the model railway-orientated forums, and Airfix modelling appears on their forum. I lurked here for a good while before plucking up the courage to join, but I’m glad I did.

 

Now, seven days? That might be a stretch. Seven months, perhaps.

That's interesting, it seems you went through the same process as myself. It must have been nearly a year before I was brave enough to get involved with the wonderful and bonkers world that is BM. However, apart from marrying Mrs Martian, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. I think its the fact that it is a community rather than just a site to show our models is what raises it above other forums.

 

Martian 👽

[dogsbody]

9 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Looks like a great project! The Airfix kit is surprisingly nice for the era. I have never seen the Revell kit (or the Frog one for that matter) but I hope it's as good.

 

I have a 17E lurking in the cupboard that I want to convert to the V2 prototype, which at one point had the nose quite elegantly faired over to make a fast transport version.

 

Regards,

Adrian

Yes, the Airfix kit is quite nice for being that old. The Revell kit I have is, I believe, a copy of the old FROG kit. It's okay in my opinion, but the old Monogram kit is the better of the two. It's just a bit crisper and the transparencies are thinner and clearer.

 

 

Chris