ICM 1:48 HP.52 Hampden B.Mk.I

Churchill’s “Flying Suitcase”

With the new look and renewed activity of the forum, I’ll be making a (gradual) change to the way I’ve been presenting my reviews.

I will continue doing reviews, but this time as full build logs straight from the box.

I’m not exactly an internationally renowned modeller (although at home I’m very well known!), and when this opportunity came up, I was genuinely excited—almost like a modelling rebirth, as I currently feel in a state of complete modelling apathy, with little drive or motivation.

With that honest admission, I make a commitment here, in this virtual space, to follow through as quickly as possible!

The chosen subject will be the ICM Hampden B.Mk.I in 1:48 scale.

I’ll be sharing step-by-step photos of the build and my thoughts along the way—what proved more challenging, how the assembly goes, the level of detail, and so on.

The paint scheme will be one of the options provided in the box, so I can make use of the supplied decals, while the paints used will be my own preferred choices.

I’ll leave you with some initial photos, and now it’s time to head to the bench to cut, glue some plastic, paint… and take pictures!

Edited September 24Sep 24 by Ricardo Veríssimo

This should be good Ricardo one of those Very interesting A/C of the early years.I will follow with interest more than once have thought of a purchase of said kit.

Hi Kevin ! thanks ! i hope that this build will confirm your thought about this model :)

I began the construction of the model:

The exterior fuselage detail features finely recessed panel lines, with depth appropriate to the scale. Rivet detail is also present and well proportioned for the model.

Assembly starts with the fuselage interior components.

The internal structure and the various equipment boxes are attached to the fuselage sides, which themselves include moulded internal frame detail. There are some ejector marks present, but all are located in non-visible areas or will be covered by other parts.

The build looks promising!

Hi !

Here's yesterday update!

During the interior construction, the instructions indicate that a few holes need to be drilled in the part that will form the roof of the bomb bay.

Following the instructions, the measurements were transferred onto the part and the holes drilled accordingly.

The transparent nose section is made up of several parts. Although not mentioned in the instructions, I took the opportunity to mask the first nose piece externally before attaching it. The frame lines are perfectly defined, and using kabuki tape and a fresh blade, the masks can be cut to fit precisely. Before cutting, I always run a cocktail stick over the tape to ensure it adheres properly to the surface.

One note: the edges of these parts are moulded with an “L”-shaped profile, allowing them to sit flush with the fuselage sides and resulting in a clean join.

I then continued with the interior assembly. The build is quick and straightforward—simply remove the parts from the sprue, clean them up, and glue them in place. Alignment holes and recessed guides ensure a precise fit, with no gaps or confusion regarding orientation.

Some interior fuselage details:

Painting is just around the corner!

I left a few sub-assemblies unattached, as they will be easier to paint separately.

Ricardo the canopy mask were not pre-cut but they provided and outline elsewhere?The interior looks good to go.

Yes, the outlines are on the instructions sheet. Put tape over them and cut them out, as the paper is quite glossy removing the tape is easy. I used these on mine and it worked reasonably well. Although I would prefer Eduard masks.

Cheers

Cees

I am really interested to follow this, its one of those models i would like to have on my shelf.

Great! I'll be following along😀

10 hours ago, KevinM said:

Ricardo the canopy mask were not pre-cut but they provided and outline elsewhere?The interior looks good to go.

yes they provide :)

5 hours ago, Cees Broere said:

Yes, the outlines are on the instructions sheet. Put tape over them and cut them out, as the paper is quite glossy removing the tape is easy. I used these on mine and it worked reasonably well. Although I would prefer Eduard masks.

Cheers

Cees

thanks for the tip ! i'll follow it on the other clear parts!

Lovely! Following this

Hi Guys!

thanks for watching ! a little update on the build :)

Using the templates provided at the end of the instruction booklet, I placed Tamiya tape over the corresponding mask and proceeded to cut it out. In fact, the process is quick and makes this task—often quite difficult for many modellers—much easier. In this case, there are 60 masks 😊.

Even the more complex masks, once cut, fit very well onto the corresponding parts, with virtually no need for adjustment.

The alternative approach of cutting directly on the transparent part with a blade is also valid, thanks to the level of detail and the raised frame lines.

Some of the components are already masked and ready to be fitted. I will be applying the interior colour from the outside.

Meanwhile, the right-hand half of the fuselage is ready for painting. Some injection marks can be seen in the photo, but they will not be visible on the finished model.

I’m also taking the opportunity to share a photo of the jig I’ll be using for assembling the engines — two sprues are provided.

Time for painting!

At last, we move on to painting the interior parts!

Although there is quite a large area to cover, much of it will not be visible, so I’ll be focusing on the most prominent sections, such as the cockpit and the gun positions.

The primer used was Mr Surfacer Black, thinned with Mr Levelling Thinner. Once dry, it provides a smooth, even, satin finish.

After it had fully cured, I applied the interior colour (Interior Grey-Green), also from Gunze and thinned with Levelling Thinner. As with the primer, once dry it results in a uniform, satin surface.

At this stage, I also painted the frames of the transparent parts.

I’m very pleased with the results so far, and will now move on to painting the smaller details and applying the decals on the pilot instrument panels.

Thanks for watching!

Fantastic, methodical work.

Innards looking good Ricardo.

Hi guys ! thanks for watching and for the feedback !

Here's a small update on the project!

As I was finishing the interior painting, I continued making progress on assembling the next sub assembly : the wings.

Here are a few photos of the upper and lower wing halves.

The entire surface features finely done rivet detail with uniformly recessed panel lines.

I also perform a dry fit and it's almost perfect, but i'll return on this topic on the due time.

The structure surrounding the main landing gear bay consists of several parts that both “close” the bay and act as spars that slot into the corresponding grooves in the fuselage. This solution ensures an even fit and distributes the load across the entire structure.

I would, however, point out what seems to me to be a potential weak point. The entire landing gear—and therefore the full weight of the model—rests on the bonding points between the gear and the wing. Of the six attachment points, only two appear to be adequate for the structure in question, while the four forward points seem rather fragile, with limited contact area and engagement.

I will assess whether reinforcing them with a metal wire pin that improve the structural integrity of the assembly and prevents future issues during transport to exhibitions and similar events.

To remove parts from the sprue, I often use this saw, which allows for a clean cut without burrs or brittle plastic.
I know there are specialized tools for this purpose, but this option works very well too.

Thanks for watching !

Looking good, the early WW2 RAF stuff is a very interesting time for me so I have this kit and a Beaufort in the stash, just waiting for a Whitley.

Cheers

Dennis

A long absence…

Sometimes we plan to follow one path and end up having to take another… and that was the case for nearly two months.

My apologies for my absence.

During this period, I have been making progress on the engines and their respective nacelles, completing the fuselage halves and wings.

Engines and metal...

With the engines assembled, and in keeping with the rest of the build process, I encountered no difficulties whatsoever when gluing them together. The engines are supplied in two halves which, when joined, meet either along overlapping areas or in sections that remain hidden from view, ensuring clean seams with virtually no flash or excess material to remove.

The exhaust collector components, unlike those found on their American contemporaries, are mounted at the front of the engine and then feed into the long exhaust pipe.

Painting began with a coat of Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black, which provides a satin finish suitable for the result I was aiming for.

The metallic colours used were aluminium for the engines, while the collectors were also painted with an aluminium base coat followed by a light layer of Alclad Pale Burnt Metal. The final tone I am aiming for is something a little more “heat-stained”, but I will return to that subject later in the build.

Meanwhile, the two fuselage halves were completed with the remaining components, allowing them to be closed up and prepared for painting.

I cannot stress enough how precise the fit is. The transparent parts slot into place perfectly, with no gaps and no uncertainty regarding their positioning.

The transparent nose sections fit into the fuselage via positive and negative L-shaped joints, and the capillary action of Tamiya Extra Thin Cement alone is sufficient to secure them in place.

The wings were also attached and, apart from the modeller’s own lack of skill, I have nothing but praise for the precision of the fit.

With a little more care or talent, filler could probably have been avoided altogether, although that was not the case here!

After sanding the joints between the upper and lower wing halves, I reinstated some of the rivet lines along the wing leading edges using a rivet tool purchased from AliExpress.

And this is the model in its current state.

painting is around the corner!

thanks for watching!

beautiful progress. I'd love to do.a 32nd scale version one day.

Looking good, seems like a good kit to build.

Cheers

Dennis

Nice work😀

A small but significant update!

After a delay caused by some deep tidying and reorganization in the garage/model workshop, I was finally able to get back to the Hempden and begin the long-awaited painting stage!

With the entire surface cleaned and carefully checked for any flaws, I applied the primer. In this case, I used a mixture of Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black with a few drops of Mr. Surfacer Grey. This primer will also serve as the model's base colour.

This primer provides a smooth, uniform satin finish across the entire surface and makes for an excellent starting point for the paintwork ahead.

It was necessary to separate the upper and lower colours and, for that, I opted for the classic Blu Tack sausage method. It was mainly a matter of playing it safe, as I know that if I try to paint it freehand, it will almost certainly go wrong! 😀

Likewise, I applied masking tape to define the camouflage demarcation between the upper and lower surfaces of the wings.

I began the upper-surface painting with the brown shade, choosing the classic Tamiya XF-52, thinned with Mr. Levelling Thinner. This allows for excellent control and the application of very thin coats. I deliberately avoided achieving a completely uniform finish, as I intend to return later with tonal variations for weathering effects.

I also started with the green camouflage patches, using Tamiya XF-58 Dark Green and applied by airbrush on previously set bluetack sausages for camouflage pattern.

I needed to stop and let the paint dry, as i need to rewatch and check if it's as i imagined.

I'll be making faster progress this week, so I should be posting updates more frequently!

thanks for watching!

Nice work😀 I purchased some silly putty to use as masks. I didn't conider using Blu Tack.

I have loads of the stuff. Does it work well for masking?

On 8/16/2026 at 11:43 PM, Belugawhaleman said:

I have loads of the stuff. Does it work well for masking?

Yes Blue Tack works perfectlly fine!

I love following this build.

On 8/16/2026 at 11:43 PM, Belugawhaleman said:

Nice work😀 I purchased some silly putty to use as masks. I didn't conider using Blu Tack.

I have loads of the stuff. Does it work well for masking?

Hi !

i prefer bluetack as it was the favourite solution as i started.. and i just continue using :)

it works very well for masking, but keep in mind that on the edge between the bluetack roll and the surface , you need to keep the airbrush almost at 90 degrees in order to have a consistent demarcation line.