World War Two Dornier Do 17 Display Planned After Decade-Long Restoration

A significant event for British aviation history is approaching, centered on the recovery and restoration of a World War Two aircraft from the seabed. The restoration process itself has been described as nearly as remarkable as the plane. An iconic Dornier Do 17, known as The Flying Pencil due to its slender fuselage, is scheduled for public exhibition at RAF Museum Midlands in Shropshire starting in early 2025. This display will feature its wing section, along with its engines and propellers. The complete aircraft, operated by the German air force, the Luftwaffe, was retrieved from waters off Kent, having been shot down by the RAF decades prior. It stands as the sole intact example of its kind globally. Despite its completeness, the plane is in separate components, which have undergone meticulous work at the museum to counteract the corrosive effects of seawater. Now, following over ten years of restoration efforts, these components, including the wings, are set to be unveiled. This specific aircraft type played a crucial role during the initial phases of WW2. Dr Harry Raffal, head of collections and research at the Cosford attraction, stated that “After more than ten years of intensive conservation, treatment and stabilisation,” the exhibition will represent “not only the culmination of an extraordinary salvage operation but a unique way of understanding the Battle of Britain.” He further commented, “This is a remarkable moment for aviation history in Britain.” More than 1,500 of these bombers were manufactured, with over 400 deployed by the Luftwaffe. Currently, only one complete example exists, which is the one located in Cosford. This particular aircraft was downed in August 1940 by an RAF Boulton Paul Defiant, an aircraft model produced in nearby Wolverhampton. The Do 17 wreckage remained on the seabed for over 70 years beneath the waters of Goodwin Sands, Kent. Its recovery was orchestrated by the museum in June 2013. Post-recovery, the aircraft’s body, wing section, propellers, and engines were placed into hydration tunnels. There, they were treated with a low-concentration citric acid solution to eliminate marine sediment and neutralize any corrosive impurities. Subsequently, the body was taken out of the tunnels in September 2014, followed by the wings and engines in January 2015. Since that time, the Do 17 has been housed in the museum’s conservation centre, where it continues to be kept. The museum announced that the wing section will be accessible to the public from early 2025, pending suitable weather conditions for its transportation. While the fuselage will temporarily remain in storage due to space limitations in the display hangars, the new year will also mark the exhibition of the propellers and engines. These parts will be displayed alongside the wings and a Boulton Paul Defiant, which Dr Raffal identified as “the very type that delivered the final blows to this Do 17.” He added: “Our audience will see first-hand the thin edge of technology which enabled the RAF and Luftwaffe to fight out the most important battle of a generation.” Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.