1:72 Hampden Mk.I

Handley Page Hampden Mk.I (1:72, Kovozavody Prostejov)

An injection-molded plastic kit of the British twin-engine Handley Page Hampden Mk.I bomber in 1:72 scale from the Czech manufacturer Kovozavody Prostejov (KP). The kit is molded in plastic and complemented by a sprue of clear parts for the cockpit glazing and the gun positions. Check the exact package contents, the number of parts and the marking options against the manufacturer's part number for this item.

The real subject

The Handley Page Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber committed by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the early period of the Second World War. Its very narrow, deep forward fuselage running back into a slender tail boom was characteristic, and it earned the machine the nickname Flying Suitcase. It was powered by a pair of Bristol Pegasus radial engines. The Hampden served in day and night bombing, in minelaying and in coastal duties; its crew of several men was spread through the cramped fuselage.

Building and painting tips

This is a kit from a smaller Czech manufacturer, with which it pays to count on more careful clean-up of the parts — remove the flash, shorten and sand the locating pins where needed and keep dry-fitting the joints as you go. Expect some filling and sanding of the seams. Glue the glazing with canopy adhesive so that the plastic does not fog, and use thin modeling cement for the plastic. Apply a primer before painting, ideally with an airbrush; on the typical RAF upper camouflage add the decals over a gloss varnish and a fine wash in the panel lines.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of British RAF bomber types of the Second World War
• Modelers who will appreciate a less common type in a 1:72 collection
• Anyone interested in short-run kits who can manage some clean-up and filling

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.