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 an aircraft of 7 Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 3, which was based on the Russian front during the winter of 1941/42. It wears a hastily applied overall wash of white camouflage, well suited to the severe winter weather on the eastern front. Sold Out!

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

Release Date: June 2010

Historical Account: "Blitzgeschwader" - The prototype Do 17 was built in 1934 in response to a Lufthansa requirement for a 6-passenger mailplane. However the design was rejected, partly due to the slim fuselage which would later give the plane its nickname of 'The Flying Pencil'. Nevertheless military interest was shown in the design and it was developed as a medium bomber and long range reconnaissance aircraft.

The Do 17Z was a development of earlier marks designed specifically as a medium bomber. It was used extensively on all fronts during WWII although by 1942 it started to be withdrawn from mainline duties.

Kampfgeschwader 3 was a Luftwaffe bomber wing whose units participated on all of the fronts in the European theatre until it was disbanded in September-October 1944. It operated two of the major German bomber types; the Dornier Do 17 and the Junkers Ju 88.