This week we feature the 1/48 Tamiya Dornier Do335A Pfeil (OPENBOX) kit.

Checkout this rare 1/48 Tamiya Dornier Do335A Pfeil. Condition is excellent and re-sealed package for protection. Decals are verified in great shape.

The Dornier Do335A Pfeil (arrow) was one of the most unusual fighters of the Third Reich. This multi-purpose aircraft was planned to be the Luftwaffe’s next weapon in the skies over Europe. Its most salient characteristic was the tractor/pusher, two-propeller combination, but the cross-shaped tail and forward positioned landing gear also contributed to its unique appearance.

It was the 1920’s when Dornier first started researching the twin engine layout. In 1937, they obtained a design patent for the front/rear engine and cross-shaped tail layout. In 1942, the Air Ministry sent out production demands to various aircraft manufacturers for a high speed aircraft capable of flying at 800km/h. Dornier’s proposal for a twin propeller aircraft was accepted and the Do335 was officially adopted. Two 1750hp Daimler Benz 603 engines provided a top speed of 760km/h, yet the sleek design ensured maneuverability on part with single-prop aircraft. The Do335V-1 made its maiden flight on October 1943 and was followed by the pre-production A-0 model in June 1944. In September, engine output was raised to 1800hp for the production version, the A-1. Both the A-0 and A-1 versions had one 30mm machine gun in the axis of the nose propeller and two 20mm machine guns over the engine. The fighter/bomber version could carry up to 1000kg of bombs. With the intensification of the Allied bombing campaigns, strong efforts were made to improve the Do335. However, the end of WWII precluded its deployment and entry into real combat.