HP.52 Hampden B.Mk.I 1/48 model kit - ICM 48352

The ICM 48352 HP.52 Hampden B.Mk.I model kit reproduces in 1/48 scale one of the iconic British bombers of the early World War II. Dedicated to the Handley Page Hampden in its B.Mk.I version, this kit, with entirely new molds, allows you to build a twin-engine RAF aircraft with a particularly recognizable appearance, featuring a narrow fuselage and large wingspan.

The assembled model measures 341 mm long with a wingspan of 442 mm . The box contains 350 parts for building this 1/48 scale model of a British military aircraft. Four marking options are provided, illustrating aircraft used between 1938 and 1939, from the first production Hampden to an aircraft used for torpedo testing.

The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was developed in response to the British Air Ministry's B.9/32 specification, intended to modernize the bomber fleet. Its prototype made its first flight in 1936, and the production version, the Hampden B.Mk.I was approved in 1937. Production began in the spring of 1938, while the first operational units received their aircraft in the autumn of the same year.

At the start of the war, the Hampden was deployed by the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command on ground attack, bombing raids against Germany, naval attacks, and mine-laying missions. It remained in Bomber Command service until the autumn of 1942. From the spring of that year, many examples were transferred to Coastal Command and converted for the torpedo bomber role. This B.Mk.I model focuses on the land-bombing version prior to these conversions.

The Hampden occupies a unique place among British medium bombers of the period. Its sleek and elegant silhouette, very different from that of other twin-engine RAF aircraft, makes it a prime subject for a collection dedicated to the beginnings of aerial warfare in Europe, to Bomber Command units, or to the evolution of British bombers between the pre-war period and the early years of the conflict.

The included decorations allow you to represent four HP.52 Hampden B.Mk.I aircraft:

• L4032 , first Hampden in series, Radlett, June 1938;
• L4085 , No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, Waddington, February 1939;
• L4076 , No. 50 Squadron, Waddington, September 1939;
• P1272 , Torpedo Development Unit, December 1939.

At 1/48 scale, this ICM model kit provides a suitable base for assembling detailed military aircraft and recreating RAF airfield scenes from the pre-war or early World War II era. The choice of four markings offers several historical perspectives, focusing on early production aircraft, bomber units, and experiments related to the maritime use of the Hampden.

Technical specifications:

• Military aircraft model kit to assemble;
• Brand: ICM;
• Reference: 48352;
• Subject: Handley Page HP.52 Hampden B.Mk.I ;
• Scale: 1/48;
• Period: World War II;
• Number of pieces: 350;
• Assembled model dimensions: 341 x 442 mm;
• Four British marking options, from 1938 to 1939;
• Box dimensions: 410 x 260 x 55 mm.