For my most recent purchase, I decided to buy something a bit out of the box compared to my usual purchases. Since it was released, I have had my eye on the Dornier DO X that has been released in 1/72 scale by the German toy company Schuco. The model is expensive and for the longest time it was just something to look at for me. Recently, one came up online for a very good price (under $350) and a combination of gift cards, rewards and discounts brought the aircraft in at a price under $325 US from a seller in Germany. Realizing the deal was too good to pass up, I decided to purchase this model. Here are some reviews and photos.
First a little history, the Dornier DO X was the largest and heaviest flying boat in the world when it was built in 1929. The aircraft had an incredible 157' wingspan and needed twelve engines to power it. Due to the amount of engines, the engine throttles were managed by a flight engineer and not by the actual pilot of the aircraft. The aircraft could carry 66 passengers in luxurious accommodations and did fly across the Atlantic to New York.
Despite the interest in the public from the large plane, it was not a commercial success. The aircraft was slow to climb and was cumbersome due to its size. Only three were ever built. Despite the fact it failed commercially, the aircraft proved that large commercial aircraft were viable and could be built. The design ideas used in the Dornier DO X eventually made their way into more successful commercial aircraft. The aircraft itself was lost in an Allied air raid on Berlin during World War II when the museum it was displayed in was destroyed.
For reference purposes, a picture of the original Dornier DO X.
Schuco's model comes in a large and colorful solid box. The front of the box shows a photo of the aircraft and the back of the box gives specifications of the actual aircraft and a short history in both English and German. The outer box is colorful and sturdy and the history given is enough to generate interest and tell a little bit about the actual aircraft.
The aircraft is nestled inside a foam tray much like the Franklin Mint aircraft were back in the day. The box contains the model, a display stand, an instruction sheet and a bag of parts.
The display stand is heavy duty plastic and simple but effective. The stand design is pretty creative, as it replicates two of the aircraft's engines. This was a neat idea for a unique display stand. The one surprise is that the stand is not made of metal, but maybe Schuco did not see the need. An inflight option for display would have been nice as well, but given the weight of the plane itself, this may not have been possible. More on this a bit later.
Schuco is a name that is known for quality and it shows in the bag of parts they included with the model. This bag of parts are spare antennas and pitot tubes for the aircraft in case one is ever broken while cleaning.
The model itself is a beauty. It is made almost entirely of metal (Schuco says Zinc) and is heavy. The model weighs in at almost 12 pounds and has a wingspan of over 2 feet long. The windows and smaller parts are plastic.
The markings are graphics and not decals. Looking through some aviation books, the markings appear to be correct and accurate for the model. The model parts also fit tightly and the seams are minimal. The struts are also an interesting design. They are not glued into place and instead push fit into their corresponding areas. This allows them some flexibility. If one is leaned on too hard, it simply pops out instead of snapping off. Then, all one has to do is reinsert it in its spot. Despite the fact the struts push fit into place, they fit tightly and do not fall out unnecessarily. One of my struts came out of its spot in transit from Germany and I simply pushed it back into place with ease. A great way to design the delicate parts of the aircraft
After putting this plane on display, I can see why it is so expensive. It has an amazing amount of metal content and the detail and quality is incredible. The fact this model is 1/72 scale and has a wingspan of over 2 feet speaks to how large the actual aircraft was for its time. Schuco did a fantastic job replicating the smaller details of this model. My complaints would be minor. I think Schuco could have detailed the engines and propellers with some more paint work and I think the stand should have been metal. But these are minor issues. One could carefully detail the propellers if they wanted since they are at an easy spot to get to and the stand does the required job despite being plastic.
More known for their small diecast cars and trucks, Schuco hit a home run with this airplane. It is well detailed and is a model of a unique plane most companies would never begin to think of producing. The model is also quality built and has no manufacturer errors. I sincerely hope Schuco considers doing more unique models like this, as I feel there is a small but significant market for them. Getting this model for the price I did was a score. It is a neat collectible and I am thrilled to have such a unique plane in my collection.