Hampden Mk I

Hampden Mk I

Swordfish Mk I

Hampden TB Mk I

Hampden Mk I

Swordfish Mk I

Hampden TB Mk I

Britain

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.7	1.7	1.7

Class:

Bomber

Research:4 000

Purchase:2 100

Show in game

This page is about the British bomber Hampden Mk I. For other versions, see Hampden TB Mk I and Hampden TB Mk I (USSR).

Description

The Hampden Mk I is a rank I British bomber with a battle rating of 1.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai".

The Hampden is one of the first bombers you get in the British tree, and without a doubt defines the style of flying for the remainder of the tree. Its decent performance combined with all-powerful bomb load can quickly rack your score up into the thousands. On maps like Essen, use your superior speed to bomb the ground targets before any other bombers, then drop your altitude and rearm at the airfield. After, fly low with a bomb delay and hit the remaining targets or bases.

General info

Flight performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 3,962 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
404	388	8310	27.1	27.9	5.3	5.3	366
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 3,962 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
460	428	8310	25.0	26.0	10.9	7.6	366

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		410	~4	~2

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 315	< 310	< 300	> 200

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,448 m	815 hp	1,043 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,496 m	750 hp	960 hp

Survivability and armour

• 9.5 mm Steel plate in front of cockpit on fuselage top.
• 9.5 mm Steel plate behind the dorsal gunner.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Hampden Mk I is armed with:

• 1 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine gun, nose-mounted (300 rpg)

Suspended armament

The Hampden Mk I can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 6 x 250 lb G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV bombs (1,500 lb total)
• 2 x 500 lb G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
• 4 x 500 lb G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 4 x 1,000 lb G.P. 1,000 lb Mk.I bombs (4,000 lb total)

Defensive armament

The Hampden Mk I is defended by:

• 1 x 7.7 mm Vickers K machine gun, nose turret (500 rpg)
• 2 x 7.7 mm Vickers K machine guns, dorsal turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
• 2 x 7.7 mm Vickers K machine guns, ventral turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

Usage in battles

The below tactics can be used in all games modes:

How to offensively Engage an enemy aircraft:

If you happen to see an enemy aircraft, you should not engage. Only in cases that he is the last enemy player should you dare to attack him. Try and climb above him then dive to get in front of him. Then use your four 7.7 mm machine guns to tear into his cockpit and knock out his pilot, engines and forward gunners.

How to perform defensive fighting:

Should an enemy fighter move to engage you, do not try to outmanoeuvre him. Simply dive and go as low as you safely can while in gunner view and aim for his engine. Try and damage it or give him some nasty leaks to scare him off. If you're lucky he will burst into flames and fall to the ground.

Specific enemies worth noting

The planes to be feared are usually those that carry cannons or 12.7 mm machine guns. Those planes will easily shred this plane with no problems as it does not react well to damage.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Auto control available	Controllable Not auto controlled	Combined	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Turret 7 mm	Offensive 7 mm	MBC-B
II		Compressor	Airframe		New 7 mm MGs
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 7 mm MGs (turret)		MBC mk.III
IV		Engine injection	Cover

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Third heaviest payload for its BR (behind the Ju 88 A-4 and the Hampden TB Mk I).
• Offensive machine gun can be useful for killing soft ground targets.
• Back gunner makes short work of low tier planes.
• Decent manoeuvrability for a bomber.

Cons:

• Terrible roll rate.
• Possibility to face planes with 20 mm cannons and 12.7 mm guns.
• Vickers machine gun isn't very accurate.
• Unlike the Hampden TB Mk I it cannot carry a torpedo.
• Does not like to take battle damage.
• No protection for pilot when enemy planes attack you head on.
• Hits to the wings can start fuel tank fires due to all the fuel tanks being internally mounted in the wings.
• Rear gunners' arc is very limited.
• Carrying the largest payload option will slow the plane to a crawl.

History

The Handley Page Hampden was the last and fastest twin-engined bomber of the "trio" during the "Phoney" War. It was designed to meet Air Ministry Specification B.9/32 which called for a faster, heavier, and more powerful bomber that would replace the existing Bristol Blenheim and the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley. The designer, G.V Vokert, designed an interesting prototype, designated HP.52. This plane was originally powered by Napier Sabre Dagger engines, but switched to the more powerful Bristol Pegasus radial engines. Originally the Hampden had two Vickers K gun in ventral and dorsal positions, which proved to be inadequate for daylight defence. This was then switched to two Vickers K guns with modifications. The Hampden had many nicknames, because of the slim, compact and cramped fuselage it was nicknamed the "Flying Suitcase". It was oddly similar in role and appearance to the German fast day-bomber Do 17, which had the nickname "Flying Pencil".

RAF Squadron No.49 was the first to receive their new Hampdens. Bearing the brunt of early bombing raids on Europe. The Hampden proved no match for Luftwaffe fighters. It was subsequently switched to various night time operations, such as mine-laying, bombing raids on German soil, propaganda and torpedo bombing. Despite having great speed and manoeuvrability, the Hampden was declared obsolete and retired from service in 1942.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.