CMK's 1/48 Do 335B Conversion Set

For the Tamiya Kit

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

Tamiya's 1/48 Do 335 kit is easily the best 1/48 Do 335 (it only had to beat the old Monogram kit, after all), but it is limited in the choices of markings. This conversion opens up some more possibilities for that kit. With this set you can build one of the later versions of the Pfeil, the Do 335B.

The main difference between the A and B versions of the Do 335 is the cannons in the wings. This set takes care of this with a one-piece fairing designed to fit into the leading edge of each wing. You'll have to cut a notch out, but that should be quick and easy to do, and it also marks the only cutting you'll have to do for this conversion. The rest of the details are merely extras and could actually be used on just about any Do 335 version. You get a new set of stabilizers with separate elevators, a complete set of wheels, a new nose strut, and a rear propeller assembly, complete with separate blades and three-piece hub. A vacuformed canopy with the teardrop windows is also included.

In addition to the conversion parts, you also get decals to finish your Do 335. The actual version this set converts the Tamiya kit into is the Do 335M14, which was the second prototype of the Do 335B-2. This particular plane survived the war and ended up being one of two Do 335s tested by the French (the other one being the Do 335M17, prototype for the B-6 night fighter). The decals provide both the German and the French markings, allowing you to finish it in either of its schemes. The German one is pretty standard, but the French one is a bit more interesting as it was painted overall French Khaki.

This set is definitely worth the money, as it gives you a simple conversion for the Tamiya kit and walks you through from beginning to end, nothing extra being needed. If, however, you want to go even further, you could use this set to make the Do 335M13 as well by just changing two things. First, you'll have to change the code letters from RP+UO to RP+UP. That's the easy part. The second thing you have to do is replace the wingtips with extended examples that are much more rounded. A simple thing to make out of plastic card, though, and you'd have yet another example of the Pfeil on your shelf.