Carving is not the only way to scratchbuild a model. One can do frame and covering, what used to be called stick and tissue. One good way to learn building by this technique is to buy a balsa flying model kit. After first build OOB, you can start replacing tissue with other materials- plastic sheet or card stock, and scratchbuild some cockpit details. As kitted, flying models hold off on detail as detail adds weight, reducing flying quality. Also, cockpits usually interfere with rubber motor. But if you are building them for scale display, not for flying, you can add all the detail you want. BTW, plastic sheet or card stock for aircraft with metal structures allows you to emboss rivet detail by pressing ball point pen into back of covering sheets.
I’ve never seen this model in person but I’d get one… They have a noble purpose in our world eradicating pests, fighting fires, Planting rice. It’s a very fast powerful airplane in it’s type class.
Lots of Stearmans used in crop dusting. While building the new Revell Stearman I thought how easy it would be to cover front cockpit and add some piping under wing.
That would be a decent kit bash for sure Don…
Very nice…a one of a kind model. Doesn’t get any better than that. Thanks for sharing!
I can remember going to one of the local dime stores during the mid 1950’s and buying those Comet kits for a dime each. IIRC, they came from the WWII recognition project that allowed students build aircraft identification models in 1/72 for the military.
There is a small niche in many types of aircraft to be modeled and sold. I did some models on sticks for a flight school. I just like the freedom of line drawings.
Recently decided to mock up a float version known as the Fireboss. There is a paper kit version out there I seen awhile back. 
I am new to floats so carving the hulls will be a challenge.The canopy detail has to be sketched then the rough out can begin. This has an observers extended canopy. 