FineScale Modeler – September 2019

20 FineScale Modeler September 2019

Converting Takom’s Renault FT into an M1917

Part 1: The hull and nothing but the hull

BY RON PONIATOWSKI

A

s age creeps up on me, I find
that 1/35 scale is getting a bit
small for my eyes and hands. So,
you can imagine my enthusiasm
when 1/16 scale armor kits with interiors
came onto the market. One of my favorites
has been Takom’s Renault FT.
Building several of these spurred me to
consider converting one into the M1917
Six-Ton Light Tank, a U.S. license-built
near copy of the FT. At first glance, it
seemed an easy project; after all, there are
just a few minor details to change, right?
Well, not really.
Aside from obvious differences — armor
around the driver’s head and a relocated
muffler — many rivets and smaller details
were in different places. In addition, the
driver’s controls and seat, engine, ammuni-

tion racks, and other details are different.

I planned to use almost all of the kit,

modifying the Renault engine to resemble

the M1917’s Buda, for example, and get the

interior as close as possible without a lot of

scratchbuilding. Still, all of this took time

and my two-month project stretched into

six; I spent about 200 hours building the

little vehicle. That doesn’t include research.

I photographed an M1917 and measured

an actual tank located a few hours from our

home (accompanied by my very patient

wife!). This proved to be valuable in many

respects, especially in reference to exterior

details. Books were pulled from the shelves

or bought and contact was made with

Hayes Otoupalik, an M1917 owner. (The

best thing I learned from Hayes was that

the bullet marks on an M1917 weren’t due

to them being on a target range, but were

the result of firing weapons at the armor to

prove it.)

Takom has several FT-17 kits on the

market. I used kit No. 1003 with the Berliet

“Omnibus” riveted turret. The initial “cast

turret” kit will work if you don’t mind

scratchbuilding the entire octagonal turret.

After I’d started work, Takom issued a

3-in-1 kit with both the early wooden and

late steel idler wheels and two turrets repre-

senting both cast and riveted types with

both the 37mm cannon and machine gun,

although without post-World War I

mounts. I suggest purchasing this kit

(No. 1004) for this project because you can

modify the later steel idler wheels into pas-

sible M1917 types. Besides, you get two

turrets with armament!