Review

This offering from ICM in 1/48th scale of a Do 217K-1 World War II German Bomber arrives in the usual ICM manner of a flip top cardboard tray, with an additional card lid. Inside the model parts are packed in 2 re-sealable plastic bags. The instruction booklet is loose inside the box, inside the pages of which are the decals. There is an advertising sleeve inside of the box advertising the ICM paint range. An examination of the parts reveals no obvious moulding issues, it is my belief the ejector pin marks present are in hidden locations. The gates are of a reasonable size and  not excessive in number. One thing you will notice in this release, is that there is a very large amount of unused parts including an entire fuselage.

ICM has released a large number of the Dornier two engine bomber series, and covered a wide number of uses it had been used for. I have not been able to find a reliable view of the cockpit of this release and so I am left with the only option to believe that ICM has generally got things right. On the plus side, I am pleased to see that ICM no longer provide the pilot seat in 2 half but instead with a separate seat and back. There is a reasonable amount of detail in the cockpit that can be seen through the large glazed areas, but I am sure given time a dedicated photo etch release will be forthcoming from someone like Eduard. A negative, which is common to ICM aircraft models is that seat harness detail is not covered in any way. Decals are provided for the instruments in the cockpit. Some surgery is required on this release, but nothing excessive and so the requirements should be within all modellers skills. I like that ICM has covered painting of the interior as the construction progresses, however, I cannot verify that the colours indicated are correct. Defensive fire power appears to have a nice level of detail, and I also like that ICM has included a wing brace within the fuselage. A full bomb load is also included and the bomb bay can be displayed open or closed.

The upper wing surface is a one piece offering that adds both the left and right wing which with the addition of the brace takes away concerns about wing droop. The underside of the wing is added immediately after the upper face. The tail appears to have been tackled well, with accuators included. The flight control surfaces of both the wings and tail are provided separately for those who wish to display them in a specific position. The engine nacelles are constructed off of the model, something which I like as it provides good access for those of us with sausage fingers. Details in the undercarriage bay are well replicated, but again I cannot guarantee accuracy of that detail. 2 reasonably detailed radial engines have been provided and again can be lifted further via after market offerings. The exhaust for the engines are an integral part of the engine cowlings, and so these cannot be shown open as it currently stands. 

We have already covered the nice detail inside the wheel well and I am pleased to see a reasonably detailed undercarriage, just requiring the hydraulic lines for the brakes. The wheels are provided in 2 halves which I know is something that tends to be frowned upon, and if I remember correctly resin weighted wheels are already available. I am again pleased that the undercarriage is assembled in the cowlings before they are applied to the model - giving you good clear acess without having to invert the model. The sausage fingered amongst us just need to be careful when adding the nacelles to the model. You do not need to add these nacelles until right at the end of construction, reducing the risk of damage greatly. The bomb load provided covers 250 and 500 pounds bombs - I again know that photo etched sets are available for further detailing these bombs should you so wish. 

With construction finished you will find that ICM in their typical style has provided a template for cutting your own masks for this heavily glazed model. The finishing options included are not always easy to see exactly what is what. To aide you in this ICM has provided a black and white drawing, clearly defining the outline. The finishing options for this release are:

Do 217K-1, Luftflotte 2, Mediterranean Area, Probably 1943

Do 217K-1, Stab/KG 2, Holland, 1943

Do 217K-1, 1./KG 66, Chartres, France, Summer 1943

Do 217K-1, 1./KG 2, Rhein-Main, 1943

Also released at the same time as this model, is a paint set with a picture of this model on the front. The item number is 3085 and is named Luftwaffe Night bombers. The colours provided are:

1071   Camouflage Green

1069    Extra Dark Green

1074    Pale Blue

1039    Rubber Black

1037    Dark Grey

1002    Black

Each of these paints is provided in a plastic bottle, with a screw top plastic lid and each bottle contains 12mls of paint.