Berny [Phantom Phixer: see
First Annual Berny Memorial Group Build] played a great joke on me and challenged me to build scratch J-79s.
Starting with turkey feathers and moving forward, I managed to get much of the visible engine scratched out.
Emulating Berny's method, along the way I bought kits and AM parts just to check my accuracy. Mind you, this is in no way an attempt to make a super accurate or perfect scratch representation of the J-79, but it might help those who want to try scratch building to have some fun and achieve some nice results.
My build was originally for the The Official F-4 Phantom II Group Build 2011, and thats where I met Berny.
I started with a heavily warped old Revell 1/32 kit, #4754 RF-4E F-4F, but I left it as the original F-4G and began the long task of making it look decent.
So, much putty later, we joked it is now officially and F-4P because of the Rhino-Plasty, I am getting around to the flame holders for the J-79s. Here's the challenge, to make something that looks like this:
and
Piece a' cake, right?
So, here's the selected stock and rings I cut:
Here's Berny; "Dom, you gotta lot a' work to do son......"
"I told you the inside of those cans were green, Dom....."
I love those Flat Bastige files.....
The great pretender.....I found the end cap from a Galiano bottle.....
Nice hu?....prawlem is that it only has 6 spkes, F-4 J-79 needs seven......BASTIGES!
Dream on, pal.......
Had to give the Revell kit 'hips'.......
reinforced the hips....
That's the split n' wedge.....
Oh Yah, the the turbine caps.....lol......stolen from old pen barrels......hmmmmm......like the rings above....
So, now I need to put together the spokes, make those caps look like they are turbine capable,
Then I can glue the basssige into place. - green inside the cans........lol.....