Landships II

d_fernetti · Hero

Revell Renault FT in progress

PDA · Legend

This was my first WW1 tank model. It's a great little kit; and it comes with a free Char B1 bis! You're doing a grand job with it.

I think I used a toolbox from one of the RPM kits, but on later models I used some square cross-section rod, with a flat strip for a lid (the flat strip lid is about 0.5mm wider than the square rod).

d_fernetti · Hero

Thanks again, PDA. Yes, I thought that the box can be made with the square cross section rod. I just need to check if I had the adequate size in my stash! Anyway, it'd be easy to file a strip of thickish styrene sheet to accurate size. The references I've seen show that these boxes varied a bit and as usual they depend on how they were procured.
Still wondering how to cut a tidy vision slit on that driver's hatch. I should have done it before cutting it to size.
I'm looking for an adequate microscopic chain to add it to the model's rear!

Kamil · Lieutenant-Colonel

Looks great, i like the commander

d_fernetti · Hero

Thanks Kamil. In fact, it's the Char B1 commander figure... thought it was a pity to spend that one on a model I'll probably won't build!
I have seen out there a poor photo of a tanker seated on the Renault's body, but it wasn't too clear if that man had the legs inside the turret or not. I doubt that the commander could have wriggled in or out of the turret from those tiny doors on it! Anyway, it's a pose that looks interesting.
Still can't decide which type of helmet a tank comander could have worn on 1918. And if so, if it would have been in his head in case he was out of the thing at all. I thought on putting a kepi on its head, but those molded goggles were too cool... so I left them on. Note that the right arm is stuck with blu-tac at the moment... after painting it'll be posed on the turret's top, or repaced by a pointing hand + arm I scrounged from another 1:76 figure.
BTW, the turret round "hat" had a nasty sink hole on my kit, so it was filled, sanded and filled again until it looked relatively smooth. The light gray wash you see on this model (and the poilu figures from another thread) is just a Tamiya putty thin wash I use to check the surface details.
As I said before, my sight needs all the help needed!

PDA · Legend

d_fernetti wrote:
�I'm looking for an adequate microscopic chain to add it to the model's rear!

I found chain in a model boat section of a hobby shop. But I did read this tip: buy a cheap necklace from Walmart. I can't remember if Walmart are in Argentina (I didn't see one, but I wasn't looking!) but�maybe there is�some cheap department store/mega store where you can get a cheap, fake, necklace?

d_fernetti · Hero

Thanks PDA! Yes, there are a Wal-Mart in Buenos Aires, but sure I can find a similar retail store here in Rosario (some 300 Km from there). I have checked a while ago one of those suspicious-looking jewelry stalls that often appear on the streets here, but I could't find exactly what I was looking for. Besides the vendor insisted on selling a big, gold plated, gem studded GENUINE Rolex watch with about 10 cm diameter face, for a real bargain price. Seeing no immediate use of the watch for modelling, I chose to leave...

Rob · Legend

Hat wise I believe a big floppy black beret, the Adrian helmet or an Adrian with the front brim cut off (so you can get closer in)

d_fernetti · Hero

Thanks Rob! The beret might prove more pittoresque, and hope to make it out of a blob of putty. If not, you're right, I was thinking in something approaching this: http://www.lesfrancaisaverdun-1916.fr/uniforme-casque.htm#casquetank

Pat · Commander in Chief

Excellent work. I never thought of putting a commander figure into the FT17, which makes all a difference.

d_fernetti · Hero

Checking my pics, I forgot to add in this photos in them a "driver" figure made from an airplane pilot figure (that's why I made the driver's hatch open). It's a simple affair without details since only part of the face shall be visible, the only important thing was that the figure had googles on (in fact I chopped the legs off it, eww).
My original idea was an "all out" model of the vehicle, with the front fully opened and the engine exposed as well. Sanity won, eventually. I have to add the handle to the front driver's door.