Luftwaffe Dornier Do23/G2, February 1936

[nönöbär]

Luftwaffe Dornier Do23/G2, February 1936

The plane:

In the early 1930, Dornier had secretly developed the Do 11 bomber, the first "heavy bomber" developed after WW1.
As the plane had many flaws, it was further developed to the Do 13 and then the Do 23.
About 280 planes of the Do 23 were built between 1934 and 1935, but the plane soon proved to be outdated compared to more modern designs like the Do17, He 111 or Ju 86.

However, did not want to give up the design completely and therefore evolved the Do 23 to its final version, the Do23/G-2. Modernized and streamlined in many respects, the big advantage was the usage of more powerful engines, instead of the BMW VI V-12 with 750hp, the more advanced BMW IX with up to 950 hp was used. This caused an increase of the top speed form 260kph to 295kph, which despite all advances was still significantly lower than the one of the newer bomber generation.

Therefore, only 20-30 (exact numbers cannot be found anymore) of the Do23/G-2 were build and as the replacement of the Do23 started in 1936, even those "modernized" versions were taken out of frontline services.

At the outbreak of WW2, the Do23 was mainly used in training units, some of them were tested to spray chemical agents or were equipped with a degaussing ring to detonate magnetic mines over sea.

A rather unknown episode of the Do23 was its one and only "military operation" during WW2.
In October 1939, a flight of three Do23/G-2 took off at an airfield North of Hamburg for a navigation exercise over the North Sea. While not carrying a bomb load, the planes were equipped with a full load of machine gun ammo as this exercise did take place during wartime.
Operating about 50 miles northwest of Helgoland, the planes detected a surfaced submarine which could be identified as a British S-class sub that had to surface due to technical problems. The three bombers approached the damaged submarine and strafed it with their on-board machine guns, not causing any damages. However, the effect of this attack was so big that the British crew raised a white flag and surrendered to the three bombers. The planes were able to inform the naval base on Helgoland and an old, WW1 era torpedo-boat used for training purposes was send out as it was the only available ship there. In the meantime, the bombers circles over the submarine until the torpedo-boat arrived and could take over the British sub.








The Model
The model is based on the 1/72 scale Matchbox Handley Page Heyford kit. It was mostly built OOB, modifications were a single, 3D printed tail (original taken form a FW-200), and removal of the lower wing. Instead, a new landing gear was 3D printed. Also, the antenna was added form the spare part box.
The model was painted with Revel Aqua Color in a mid 1930s camo scheme. Decals were taken from various models in the spare part box.

[Tophe]

to spray chemical agents

Yes, probably perfume, good!

[zenrat]

Very good.

[Glenn Gilbertson]

I like that - very creative!

[Old Wombat]

It still looks insanely Germanic ... But then I guess the Angles, Saxons & Jutes were Germanic peoples.

Great job, nönöbär!

[chrisonord]

Very nice build
Chris

[Dizzyfugu]

Very nice, this works very well. 

[stevehed]

Excellent build with a very 1930's look.

[NARSES2]

Excellent build with a very 1930's look.

Have to agree with both of those statements 

[kitbasher]

Well hello

Definitely a Dornier!

I'd had a similar idea a few years ago for a monoplane Heyford (Handley-Page Hillingdon).  Same monoplane layout with trousered main u/c, but no change to the tailplanes, fins or rudders.  Never built, sold off the donor model, wish I'd kept it now.

'Hillingdon' as the next H-P design was the Harrow.  Just east of the London Borough of Hillingdon is the London Borough of Harrow.

[PR19_Kit]

An absolutely SPLENDID job you've made of that. Most impressive.   

[comrade harps]

I thought I recognised the old Matchbox Heyford in there, but what you've done with it is brilliant! 

[63cpe]

Magnificent stuff! Congratulations on this brilliant plan and its beautiful execution. The result is splendid!

Absolutely believeable.

David aka 63cpe

[nönöbär]

Thanks for your comments!

I was also surprised, how much the Heyford looks like the Do23ish plane if you just remove the lower wing. Both planes were designed at the same time, and when their succesors were reelased only a few years later, you could see the leap that technology had made in those years.