Meet the "Flying Suitcase". The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was one of Bomber Command's front-line trio at the outbreak of WWII, its crews wedged into a fuselage so narrow and boxy it earned the affectionate nickname. From the first nights of the war the Hampden flew ground attacks, bombing raids, shipping strikes and mine-laying "gardening" missions over occupied Europe, before finding a second life with Coastal Command as a torpedo bomber. It's one of the great under-modelled British bombers — until now.

This is ICM's first-ever Hampden, a completely new tooling that finally gives the type a modern mainstream kit in 1/48 — and reviewers are calling it a cracker. Surface detail follows the real airframe with finely engraved panel lines, recessed rivets and fasteners, and the accurate lean geometry that makes the Hampden so distinctive. The cockpit and internal structure are thoroughly detailed, and the Bristol Pegasus nine-cylinder radials are a genuine highlight, complete with valve actuators, exhaust collectors and cylinder baffles — with the cowling configuration leaving part of these little gems visible on the finished model.

ICM includes a generous armament set: 500lb and 250lb bombs for the internal bay and under-wing racks, plus the 1,500lb parachute mine the Hampden carried on its later mine-laying operations — giving you real freedom in how to load your build. This first boxing depicts an early airframe with single Vickers K guns in the dorsal and ventral positions, and the decal sheet provides four marking options, including the very first production example.

Key Features

• All-new tool — ICM's first HP.52 Hampden, new for this release
• Finely engraved panel lines with recessed rivet and fastener detail
• Accurate geometry with detailed cockpit and internal structure
• Superbly detailed Bristol Pegasus radial engines, partially visible when built
• Bomb bay and under-wing ordnance: 500lb and 250lb bombs plus 1,500lb parachute mine
• Early-production configuration with single dorsal and ventral Vickers guns
• Four marking options, including the first production aircraft

Specifications: 1/48 scale. Parts: 350. Length: 341mm. Wingspan: 442mm. Skill level: intermediate to experienced — not recommended as a first kit.

Please note: This is an unassembled plastic model kit. Paint and cement are required for completion and sold separately.