The Dornier Do 215 was a light bomber, reconnaissance aircraft and later a night fighter aircraft produced by Dornier Werke GmbH originally produced for export, but in the event all except two served in the Luftwaffe. It was nicknamed "The Flying Pencil" because of its slim fuselage. The successor of the Do 215 was the Dornier Do 217.

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.

DO215B-4 G2+JH served with 4./Aufklarungsgruppe Ob. d. L. (long range recon unit). On August 30th, 1940, the aircraft was intercepted by the RAF off the coast of Norfolk and shot down with the crew lost. Sgt A D Smith of 66 Sqn based at RAF Coltishall claimed a share of the kill but the other aircraft involved is unknown.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Dornier Do 215 B-4 Kauz light bomber that was attached to 4./Aufklarungsgruppe Ob. d. L., which participated in the Battle of Britain, during August 1940. Sold Out!

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

Release Date: July 2010

Historical Account: "Down in Flames" - Do 215 was the serial designation assigned to the export version of the Dornier Do 17Z. It was powered by the Daimler Benz 601 A-1 in-line engine which made it some 66kph faster than the radial engined Z-2. With its higher performance it was initially decided to use the Do 215 in the bomber/long-range reconnaissance role as the B-1/3 and the purely reconnaissance model B-2/4.

The B-4 housed Rb20/30 and Rb50/30 cameras in the crew compartment and a pod under the fuselage, with an extra fuel tank being installed in the bomb bay to increase range. On Aldertag, the Luftwaffe had approximately twenty B-4s available for action; subsequently nine were shot down during the Battle of Britain.