Friday 19 June 2015

Review of Warlord Games Renault FT - 17, Bolt Action VBCW

The FT - 17 is one of Warlord's more recent kits and it shows. The attention to detail and crispness of the resin modelling is excellent. Everything fitted unambiguously together using lugs and there was almost no flash to clean up.

The kit consists of four resin sections: hull, turret, and left/right tracks. Added to this are a metal gun: you get a choice of two, the MG or the light canon, and the metal rear unditching plate which comes in two sections.

I painted it in original French colours.



The FT 17 was the first tank to adopt the universal tank layout of engine at rear, tracks to the side, and main gun in a rotating turret on top of the hull. As such it was a milestone.

FT-17s fought in WWI, the Russian Civil War, Polish-Soviet War,  various Chinese conflicts, Spanish Civil War, Winter War, WWII (on the western and eastern fronts), Franco-Thai War, Turkish war of Independence and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

It is not out of place in any inter-war campaign including VBCW.

About 2,750 were produced, which prior to WWII was a big production run.

I think I may get another.

Highly recommended.

8 comments:

  1. A nice tank and one I may have a use for!

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  2. Hi John
    I've always had a soft spot for the FT 17 I've got a 1/35th one I was going to steampunk it up someday... But re yours nice paint job and I might buy one of these too as it seems easy to put together. It can join my Ironclad tank fleet

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    1. I recommend this model Shaun. Very easy to put together.

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  3. Great work on this fine model. It's a kit I hope to get some day.

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    1. You're a better painter than me, Dean, so I'll look forward to your version.

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  4. FT17s are really cute little tanks. They remind me of GITS Tachikomas, except not AI think tanks of course. I'm rambling. It's morning and I haven't had my coffee yet.

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    1. Same for me only it's tea first, then coffee.

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