Do 215B-5 Nachtjager - Now with New Tool Kit! *Finished!*

[Andwil]

For my entry I’ll be doing yet another ICM Dornier, this time a Do 215B-5 nightfighter in the one true scale.  I’ll be doing Helmut Lent’s machine which fits into my aircraft of the aces theme.

 

Here’s the box and sprues and a bit of aftermarket.

 

 

 

 

As I’m going away for my first holiday away in over two years for the whole of May so I may not start until I get home.

 

AW

Edited July 12, 2022 by Andwil

[vppelt68]

Welcome, it'll be interesting to compare this ICM's first generation Do 215 kit to the second gen kit I'll be building! V-P

[Andwil]

On 4/20/2022 at 1:54 AM, vppelt68 said:

it'll be interesting to compare this ICM's first generation Do 215 kit to the second gen kit

I’ve made a start and can begin to answer the question above.  Basically, it’s horrible.  Firstly, there are many parts more than are strictly necessary and the moulding is quite crude.  Dry fitting is almost impossible if one has the standard human provision of two hands.  Secondly the instructions are rather vague as to placement of the parts (note also that part B26, the gunners seat needs to be bent PE style and the photo of it on section 5 is actually wrong as both legs need to be angled out to the side walls:

 

 

fortunately there is this detailed (but quite small) cut away which helps with placement of the cockpit components:

 

 

Thirdly, ICM have made many small parts scale thickness and are very fragile, Quite a few are already broken on the sprue.  This is the support for the trim wheel, part A15:

 

 

and here are some of the undercarriage components on the sprue:

 

 

broken in three places and covered in flash.  I don’t think the undercarriage as supplied will be robust enough to support the model.

 

Finally, fit is awful.  Part of the nose is a clear part (that will be painted over for this variant) that is misshaped and will leave a big gap.

 

Having said all of that, I have started on the cockpit and painted it up and it doesn’t look too bad.

 

 

I will persevere with it, but having had a look at the new tool kit on Scalemates I really wonder whether it is worth continuing with or not.

 

Thanks for looking

 

AW

[vppelt68]

Great job, AW! Having just this morning assembled, but not yet painted, most of an ICM improved kit interior you may not want to know how shake the box-experience it was compared to yours... V-P

[Andwil]

Had a look around and unfortunately all the local retailers are out of stock of the new tool 215B-5 so for now I’m stuck with the original 

I’m really worried about the undercarriage.

 

AW

[vppelt68]

31 minutes ago, Andwil said:

I’m really worried about the undercarriage.

 

AW

I'm very close to making a decision to build one of my kits wheels up. These Dorniers, especially the night fighters, look sleek and menacing in the air, but quite clumsy on the ground. How about skipping building that undercarriage? V-P

[81-er]

Eek, that doesn't look like a fun build at all! Good luck! In mitigation to ICM on the gunners seat, that probably is drawn correctly on that view, they just didn't think it through showing it only in isometric. A head-on view along side would have been wise.

 

James

[Andwil]

On 4/25/2022 at 7:29 PM, vppelt68 said:

I'm very close to making a decision to build one of my kits wheels up. These Dorniers, especially the night fighters, look sleek and menacing in the air, but quite clumsy on the ground. How about skipping building that undercarriage? V-P

That idea has some merit.  If I get that far I will need some crew figures, fortunately I have a Hasegawa Ju 88C-6 that has suitable figures that I could use.

 

However:  Decided today to close up the nose assembly.  With a couple of tabs added to the very small contact points, and the gunners seat in approximately the right place:

 

 

not too bad.  But, turn it over and 

 

 

 

Oh dear.  Not only that, but the rear bulkhead part, which incorporates the forward wing spar will not fit the rear of the nose as it should.

 

In one week from today I am away for a month.  I will ponder on this kit while I’m away, but the chances of it being completed are currently quite small.

 

AW

Edited April 27, 2022 by Andwil
Correction

[modelling minion]

Oh dear, thats not good at all.

You can see why ICM retooled the aircraft as their new kits are far superior to what is on show here.

 

🇺🇦

[vppelt68]

Ouch. There's a wide generation gap between these ICM kit editions. V-P

[Andwil]

I think ICM were over ambitious with this original tooling and attempted to cater for the many different versions with engineering and parts breakdown, including the complex multi part, scale thickness undercarriage that was beyond their moulding abilities at the time.  It is good to see that they have improved over time and learnt from the experience.

 

AW

[Adam Poultney]

yikes this kit looks fun

[Andwil]

New tool kit on order from Hannant’s, hopefully will have arrived when  I get back from a one month trip away.  Then this one will be consigned to the bin, it’s beyond me to make anything half decent out of it and after all, a hobby is supposed to be fun.

 

AW

Edited May 1, 2022 by Andwil
Corrections

[JOCKNEY]

Just a thought gents @Andwilif @vppelt68doesn't need his undercarriage you could pay for him to post it to you to use instead of your broken / defective one ? 

Cheers Pat

[vppelt68]

6 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Just a thought gents @Andwilif @vppelt68doesn't need his undercarriage you could pay for him to post it to you to use instead of your broken / defective one ? 

Cheers Pat

...except I wouldn't accept a pay for them! I still need to make up my mind about it, though, but if AW says he would use those parts that could indeed affect my decision 🙂

V-P

[Andwil]

Thanks for the idea and offer guys, but there is too much else wrong with this kit to make it worthwhile.

 

AW

[vppelt68]

5 hours ago, Andwil said:

Thanks for the idea and offer guys, but there is too much else wrong with this kit to make it worthwhile.

 

AW

The second edition is so nice that making a silk purse out of that sow's ear feels indeed quite worthless. Not my cup of tea anyway. V-P

[JOCKNEY]

Hi AW

I believe I have the same kit as this one, would your advice be to let someone else have the pleasure of it and buy a different one ? 

Cheers Pat

[Andwil]

On 5/7/2022 at 12:52 AM, JOCKNEY said:

Hi AW

I believe I have the same kit as this one, would your advice be to let someone else have the pleasure of it and buy a different one ? 

Cheers Pat

Hi Pat, yes I would recommend buying a different one, but I wouldn’t pass on the original to anyone I considered a friend!

 

AW

[JOCKNEY]

19 hours ago, Andwil said:

Hi Pat, yes I would recommend buying a different one, but I wouldn’t pass on the original to anyone I considered a friend!

 

AW

 

Don't sit on the fence AW, tell it how it is 

[JOCKNEY]

20 hours ago, Andwil said:

Hi Pat, yes I would recommend buying a different one, but I wouldn’t pass on the original to anyone I considered a friend!

 

AW

 

@jeanwill be in for a nice surprise this Christmas,  but let's keep that a secret between ourselves 

 

He loves a challenge 

 

cheers Pat

[Andwil]

Back from my holiday, and this was waiting for me at the Post Office:

 

 

Had a look at it and its a vast improvement over the old tool kit, beautifully moulded with fine detailing, no flash or warping and a better parts breakdown.  Well done ICM.

 

Hope to make a start over the weekend.  Question for the hosts, Should I continue in this thread or start a new one?

 

AW

[vppelt68]

Wasn't that a great way to come back from a holiday . As a host, I can't see a reason why you should start a new thread. You're still building an ICM Do 215 B-5 in 1:72 scale so nothing has nominally changed, although your joy factor just went to roof with the better kit. V-P

[Andwil]

Thanks V-P, I’ll just plough on!

 

AW

[Andwil]

Made a start by assembling the cockpit components, hope to get some paint on it tomorrow once the glue as set.  Goes together like a dream.  I’ve put all the bomb bay bulkheads in even though as a nightfighter the doors will be closed, as an aide to fixing the fuselage halves.

 

 

 

Just realised I haven’t yet filled a couple of ejector pins, must do that tonight.
 

Thanks for looking.

 

AW