1:72 Dornier DO 217 J1/J2 Nachtjäger

Dornier Do 217 J-1 and J-2, night fighter, 1:72 scale

A plastic kit of the twin-engine Dornier Do 217 in the J-1 and J-2 night fighter forms, 1:72 scale. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted.

The real subject

The Do 217 came about as a bomber and the night fighter version was derived from it by conversion. The glazed nose gave way to a solid nose with gun armament, and the crew was given the task of finding an opponent at night and shooting it down before it dropped its bombs. The aircraft was powered by a pair of air-cooled radial engines. Its advantage was the size of the airframe, which would carry heavy armament and extra equipment, and its disadvantage was weight: against nimble targets the Do 217 J was ponderous. The J-2 version carried a radar for night interception, whose antennas protruded from the nose and cost the aircraft further speed.

Building and painting tips

• The parts are glued with modeling cement for polystyrene, and the seams on the fuselage are worth filling and sanding.
• Finish and paint the cockpit and the interior before you glue the fuselage halves together.
• Mask the glazing before spraying, not once the paint has dried.
• Night finishes are dark and a flat surface easily swallows detail, so work with shading of the panels and a slight lightening of the areas.
• The exact number of parts, the armament and the options offered are given in the instructions and on the decal sheet.

Who the kit is for

For modelers who build German aircraft of the Second World War in 1:72 scale and want a night fighter in the collection. The build assumes ordinary skill: gluing, filling and sanding.

Paints, glue and filler are not supplied, unless stated otherwise.