Shorts Brothers won a British government defense contract for the Sunderland military patrol flying boat. It shares a similar design but incorporates some aerodynamic and hydrodynamic advances and a more rounded top of the fuselage that incorporates several gunner's positions. Dreaded by U-boats, it was claimed by the British propaganda people that the Germans called it "The Flying Porcupine" (Fliegendes Stachelschwein in German).

Short Sunderland Mk-IV flying boat is made for maritime petrol duty and so equipped with 6 torpedoes. There are 6 machine guns at the nose, and 2 in the tail as a defensive armament. Top speed is around 270 mph. It will take off and land on sea very well (Choose Water Take off at your game setting) and on land. As it is a WW2-era large Flying boat, its controls are stiff and will fly very gently. This is not to expect the agility of a fighter.

Original Sunderland doesn't have the landing gear and only can land in the sea. For maintenance, it uses "beaching gear," wheels manually attach to the plane and to be pulled up on the land. In this build, I made it as an amphibian - with a retractable landing gear. So you should keep the LG up during the water takeoff.

Strictly use of Solid Blocks

I made this strictly out of hundreds of blocks while avoiding the use of "fuselage blocks" for the "BLOCK CHALLENGE" - Only various solid blocks, nose cones, wings, text, and stock parts were used. I believe the color palette also plays an important role.

The Inspiration

WW2 Petrol flying boat for coastal defense. Fiction one loosely based on RAF Sunderland Flying boat. (The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North East England.)