"Guns before butter. Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat."
- Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, Head of the German Luftwaffe

The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift ("flying pencil"), was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke. It was designed as a Schnellbomber, a light bomber, which in theory, would be so fast that it could outrun defending fighter aircraft.

The Dornier was equipped with two radial engines, mounted on a "shoulder wing" structure and possessed a Twin tail vertical stabilizer configuration. Designed in the early 1930s, it was one of the three main Luftwaffe bomber types used in the first three years of the war. The Do 17 made its combat debut in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, operating in the Condor Legion in various roles. Along with the Heinkel He 111 it was the main bomber type of the German air arm in 1939-40. The type was popular among its crews due to its manoeuvrable handling at low altitude, which made the Dornier capable of surprise bombing attacks. Its sleek and thin airframe made it harder to hit than other German bombers, as it presented less of a target.

The Dornier was used throughout the war, and saw action in significant numbers in every major campaign theatre as a front-line aircraft until the end of 1941, when its effectiveness and usage was curtailed as its bomb load and range were limited. Production of the Dornier ended in the summer of 1940, in favour of the newer and more powerful Junkers Ju 88. The successor of the Do 17 was the Dornier Do 217, which started to appear in strength in 1942. Even so, the Do 17 continued service in the Luftwaffe in various roles until the end of the war, as a transport, test and trainer aircraft. A considerable number of surviving examples were sent to other Axis nations. A small production run of an updated version known as the Do 215 was also produced for export, but ended up in Luftwaffe service. Production of the Do 215 ceased in January 1941. Few of the Dornier Do 17s survived the war. The last was scrapped in Finland in 1952.

This 1:72 scale model represents a Dornier Do 17Z-5 light bomber that was attached to 1./Kustenfliegergruppe 606 then deployed to Kiel-Holtenau, Germany, during October 1940. Pre-order! Ship Date: May 2026.

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 9-3/4-inches
Length: 8-3/4-inches

Release Date: ?

Historical Account: "Flying Pencil" - One of the most distinctive aircraft of the air battles of the Second World War, the Dornier Do 17 is usually referred to by its nickname, and for good reason, as the Luftwaffe's Fliegender Bleistift translates to 'Flying Pencil'.

The Z variant was the most heavily produced of all the Do 17s, addressing many of the shortcomings of previous versions, but still struggling to maintain its place as a front-line Luftwaffe strike bomber.

The Z-5 was the last major bomber variant of the aircraft produced, and featured the addition of specialist survival/flotation equipment, as these aircraft were intended for operation over large expanses of water. Operated almost exclusively by 1./KuFlGr 606, this particular aircraft was one of six sent to attack aircraft factories around Liverpool during the twilight hours of October 11th, 1940.

Unfortunately for them, the raid was picked up by British radar and the Spitfires of No.611 Squadron were sent to intercept them. This particular aircraft, wearing its attractive nocturnal camouflage presentation, did not evade the attention of the Spitfires, and was seen trailing smoke from both engines, presumed crashed in a remote area of Wales.

Despite being damaged and two crew members having bailed out, the pilot managed to nurse the stricken aircraft back to France, making a crash landing at Brest. After this mauling, 1./KuFlGr 606 only engaged in night-bombing sorties.

This die-cast model is our Aviation Archive tribute to the Dornier Do 17Z-5 and that fateful day.