Introducing the Renault FT-17 Tank

Known variably as Renault FT, FT17, FT-17, this is considered by many as the first modern tank because of its configuration: driver in the front, engine in the back, and the main weapon in the middle, hosted in a rotating turret. This became and remains the standard tank layout to this day. The Renault FT was designed in 1916 and initially produced in 1917, in the midst of WWI. The Renault FT was a departure of the initial armored behemoths of that conflict (like the Char 2C), changing the paradigm of armored warfare from one in which the tank acted as a supporting heavy weapon to one in which faster, smaller tanks were deployed in larger numbers to conduct a joint offensive. Not yet a-la Blitzkrieg, but an initial step in that direction. What's noteworthy is that even with its limited capabilities, this lighter, faster tank helped break the static warfare nature of WWI. The Renault FT's main gun was initially a heavy machine gun, but soon that upgraded to a 37 mm gun. It had a modest 39 hp engine, and a 95 lt (~24 gallon) fuel tank that gave it a 37 mile range at an average speed of 4.6 mph. This means that an average foot soldier could still out run it. It's armor ranged from 8mm to 22mm at the front, leading to a total weight of 6.5 tons. It was operated by a crew of 2. The driver and the commander, who also acted as the gunner. About 3000 made, mostly during last year of WWI, with the first FTs going into combat on May 1918. Many other countries adopted it during the interwar years, and several variations were made. However, by start of WWII newer tank models with greater speed, armor, and firepower had rendered the Renault FT-17 obsolete. Nonetheless, at the start of WWII this tank was found in the ranks of Poland, Finland, France, Greece, Romania and Yugoslavia. France had about 500 of them in mainland Europe, mostly for training purposes. After the early loss of most of their modern tanks, the Renaults had to be pressed into frontline service. Once Germany defeated France, they used the captured FT17s for security duties in the occupied territories. American forces encountered them in the battlefields of North Africa, in the hands of the Vichy French. The Japanese also faced them when they invaded the French colonies in Southeast Asia. In terms of models, our main vehicle producers (FOV, 21C) have not touched the subject, probably because of the limited role this tank played in WWII, but I recently found a 3D printed version of one. Let's take a look. 

Model3design Renault FT-17 light tank

This is my first encounter with a 3D printed model. I found it on eBay and it is actually fairly decent. The surface is not as as smooth as plastic or metal, given the fact that it was printed in layers. Even without touching it, if you look closely you can notice the layering. And then there's also a good amount of 'flashing' particularly around the track area. What's nice about this model is that the turret actually spins around. Well, it's actually entirely detachable. And that's basically the only moving part. Given that I did not have a single French tank in my collection before, I was happy to get 3 of these. I am sure that once they are painted, after some gentle sanding, they will be just fine.

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