I love this! Many congrats on your richly deserved reward!
I feel bad that I didn't clock this before - I guess because you got on with the project in good time unlike myself

I'm especially curious about your experiment with water effects; may I ask - What did you mean by 'gloss mod podge' as regards the final wave effects? Or if you formed the waves/river flow some other way, what was that?
At any rate, if this really is your first try at water effects, I'm hugely impressed.
WWI features a plethora of interesting seaplanes, but modelers rarely seem to risk their beautifully crafted machines in creating a suitably appropriate scene. I'm hoping to take the plunge some time, so many thanks for your fine example!
Cheers
Mark