ICM 72302 Dornier Do 215 B-5 WWII German Night Fighter

Rare Collectible! Discontinued in the mid-2010s. Not to be confused with the newer ICM 72306 (a completely different, new tooling).
From a private stash. Unstarted, but select parts have been carefully separated from the sprues.

Dornier Do 215 B-5 WWII German Night Fighter

During the early 1930s, the concept of the Schnellbomber (high-speed bomber) emerged, envisioned as an aircraft capable of outpacing contemporary biplane fighters. One of the most prominent designs born from this doctrine was the German Dornier Do 17. The maiden flight of the first prototype, the Do 17 V1, which was ostensibly developed as a commercial passenger aircraft, occurred in November 1934.

Introduced in late 1938, the Do 17Z variant featured radial engines and a completely redesigned, heavily glazed forward fuselage, officially designated the Waffenkopf (weapon head).

In early 1940, limited production commenced on the Do 215 series. This aircraft differed from its predecessors primarily through the installation of liquid-cooled Daimler-Benz DB 601A engines. By 1941, this evolution culminated in the Do 215 B-5 Nachtjäger (night fighter) modification. Featuring significantly upgraded forward-firing armament and the FuG 202 Lichtenstein radar system, the Do 215 B-5 saw operational service with Gruppe II./NJG 1 until early 1944.

Technical Specifications of the Do 215 B-5

• Length — 54.26 ft
• Wingspan — 59.05 ft
• Maximum take-off weight — 18,960 lb
• Powerplant — 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 601A inverted V-12 liquid-cooled engines, 1,175 hp each
• Maximum speed — 289 mph
• Service ceiling — 29,528 ft
• Operational range — 1,118 miles
• Armament — 3 × 20 mm MG FF cannons, 4 × 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, 1 × 7.92 mm MG 15 flexible machine gun