Special Hobby WH-1 Model 139 Dutch East Indies Bomber 1/72 Kit
This 1/72 scale Special Hobby kit depicts the Martin WH-1 Model 139, the first version of the bomber supplied to the Dutch East Indies. Powered by R-1820-F53 radial engines, the WH-1 can be distinguished from the later WH-2 by its engines and associated cowlings.
The kit represents the first release of the WH-1 as a styrene model and includes four marking choices. Three cover aircraft operated by the ML-KNIL, the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force, while the fourth depicts a distinctively finished Thai Air Force machine.
Martin Model 139 and the Development of the Modern Bomber
When the Model 139 appeared in the early 1930s, its construction was a significant departure from the fabric-covered biplanes that were still commonplace. Martin used an all-metal monoplane configuration with enclosed crew cockpits and cowled engines.
Its performance also stood out. The new bomber was faster than rival bomber designs and could outperform contemporary fighters, contributing to changes in fighter development worldwide. Versions used by the USAAF received the B-10, B-12 and B-14 designations according to the engines fitted.
WH-1 Aircraft of the Dutch East Indies
Export customers for the Model 139 included the Dutch East Indies, which operated two versions designated WH-1 and WH-2. This 1/72 aircraft kit represents the earlier WH-1 and its R-1820-F53 radial engines.
Three of the supplied schemes depict blue-and-yellow ML-KNIL aircraft. Two use segmented roundels, while another carries orange triangles instead, giving a choice of noticeably different Dutch East Indies markings for the completed model.
ML-KNIL and Thai Air Force Marking Choices
A fourth option represents a WH-1 operated by the Thai Air Force. Thailand had ordered Model 139 bombers before the outbreak of the war and subsequently obtained additional former Dutch aircraft captured by Japan.
The Thai aircraft offers a particularly unusual painting option. Its Japanese-Thai camouflage is depicted peeling away in places, exposing areas of the earlier Dutch blue-and-yellow finish underneath. This creates a layered scheme that reflects the aircraft’s previous identity.
- 1/72 scale Martin WH-1 Model 139 bomber
- First styrene kit release of the WH-1
- R-1820-F53 radial engine version
- Three ML-KNIL marking choices
- Segmented roundel and orange triangle options
- One Thai Air Force scheme
- Pre-cut masks for the clear parts available separately
The combination of an early all-metal bomber design and four varied marking options gives the WH-1 an interesting place in an interwar or WWII aircraft collection. See more aircraft and modelling subjects from Special Hobby.
