Felix Bustelo
Valley Stream, New York
“I decided to make a 1/350 scale diorama incorporating two elements of the British anti-U-boat and convoy escort efforts in World War II,” Felix says. “I wanted to show HMS Shearwater on patrol, passing a Short Sunderland about to be boarded by her crew.” Felix modeled Shearwater with White Ensign’s HMS Kittiwake, using leftover photoetched-metal splinter mats from a White Ensign Fairmile D kit to make the 4" gun shields. “I saw a photo of one of the ships in this class which had splinter mats over the gun shield,” he says. “I added an extra Carley float from the spares box on top of depth-charge rails and resin pedestals for the photoetched-metal 20mm guns.” The Short Sunderland is from L'Arsenal, with a launch from Iron Shipwrights kit. Felix used .004" steel wire dipped in Blacken-It for rigging on the ship and the plane.