In the mid-1930s, Handley Page produced the Hampden to fill the Royal Air Force's need for a medium bomber. An advanced design for its time, it was fast and relatively agile for a bomber. I was surprised to learn the "Flying Suitcase," as it was called, could tote a 4,000 pound bomb load for 1,900 miles.
The first injection-molded Hampden in this scale since the old Airfix kit, Valom's modern rendition features finely scribed surface detail and decals for two aircraft. Additional parts include a fret of photoetched-metal pieces and an acetate instrument panel.
The eight-page instruction booklet has photos of the crew positions - an invitation to scratchbuild, as kit-supplied detail is sparse. The color guide provides Federal Standard numbers and equivalent paints from several manufacturers.
Construction is standard for a model of this size. However, as with limited-run kits, there are no locating tabs or pins. Dry-fitting is essential; I discovered fit issues at almost every step of construction. The clear nose section (Part C5) over the navigator's position is the most problematic as it is too wide for the fuselage. Even though I added a shim between the forward fuselage halves, I still had to squeeze it to fit it properly - and it cracked down the middle.
The horizontal stabilizer and fins form a subassembly which requires a butt-joint to the fuselage. I attached a plastic bar inside the fuselage with lots of 5-minute epoxy for added strength.
To fit the engine cowlings to the wings, I had to carve some plastic away from the nacelles to join the two sections smoothly. The landing gear was a challenge to assemble and secure to the wings. Study the boxed drawing in Step 7 carefully. There isn't enough support for the gear to securely mate to the wheel well. Though it's not accurate, I added a bar across the roof of the wheel well just aft of the indentations for the main struts. The aft portion of the retraction assembly rested on this step and provided the necessary strength to support the aircraft as well as keeping the gear perpendicular to the wings. In order to display the nicely detailed Vickers machine guns, I filed two grooves in Part C7, the top gunner's position.
I chose the Coastal Command scheme. After preshading, I sprayed Tamiya acrylics to get the finish I wanted. If a company produces a vinyl mask set for painting the clear parts, I urge you to buy one; there are lots of curved frames. I used a combination of masking and decaling for mine.
After some 50-plus hours of work, the finished model looks sharp in its gray and white camouflage. But it certainly tested my modeling skills. I would suggest this model for those with lots of patience as well as previous experience handling small pieces and resolving fit difficulties.
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