Renault FT-17 Light Tank (Cast Turret) 1:72 Flyhawk 3000

Plastic model kit: Renault FT-17 Light Tank (Cast Turret) 1:72 Flyhawk 3000

We present the plastic model kit of the Renault FT-17 Light Tank in 1:72 scale from the renowned manufacturer Flyhawk. This model is a great opportunity for military history and modeling enthusiasts to recreate one of the most influential tanks in history.

Model characteristics:

• Scale: 1:72
• Manufacturer: Flyhawk
• Catalog number: 3000
• Material: Plastic
• Turret type: Cast turret

History of the Renault FT-17: The Renault FT-17 is a French light tank that revolutionized the design of armored vehicles. It was the first production tank to feature armament mounted in a fully rotating turret. The configuration of this tank, with the crew compartment at the front, engine at the rear, and main armament in a rotating turret, became the standard for future tank designs and is still used today. For this reason, the Renault FT is often referred to as the world's first modern tank.

During World War I, over 3000 units of the Renault FT were produced, most of them in 1918. After the war, these tanks were exported on a large scale, and copies and derivatives were produced in the United States (M1917), Italy (Fiat 3000), and the Soviet Union (T-18). The Renault FT participated in interwar conflicts around the world, but by the beginning of World War II, it was already considered obsolete.

Tank turret: The first turret designed for the Renault FT was round and made of cast steel, almost identical to the prototype. It was intended for mounting an 8 mm Hotchkiss machine gun. In April 1917, for tactical reasons, it was decided that some vehicles should be capable of carrying a small gun. The 37 mm Puteaux gun was chosen, but attempts to create a cast turret capable of mounting it were unsuccessful.

The first 150 units of the Renault FT were intended solely for training and made from unarmored steel with the first model of the turret. Meanwhile, the Berliet company developed a new design, a polygonal turret made of riveted sheet metal, which was simpler to produce than the early cast turret. This turret, called "omnibus," could be easily adapted for mounting both the Hotchkiss machine gun and the 37 mm Puteaux gun with a telescopic sight. In 1918, the Forges et aciéries Paul Girod produced a successful round turret, which was mainly cast with some rolled elements. The Girod turret was also an "omnibus" design and became more common than the Berliet turret in the later stages of the war.

Assembly and painting kit. Does not include paints or glue. For assembly, separately sold modeling tools are needed (including cutters, files, tweezers), paints, brushes, and plastic model glue (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement). The photo shows a professionally assembled and painted model.