Reviving History: Renault FT | WWI Vehicles Uncovered - Ep. 1

[@НиколайТургенев-л1з]

Nice present to all tank-lovers all over the World!

[@wealdfoundation]

Yes indeed!

[@RussellBaker]

I was lucky to be at a talk at Tank Fest a while back on the FT and got to see it close up after. This video reminded of something I should have done back then but instead done today, joined up.

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@AmazingAce]

Lovely little four cylinder.

[@wealdfoundation]

It sure is!

[@slowshop]

Sweet little machine. Amazing work with the restauration.

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you very much!

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🏆🤗🙏🇺🇲🎖️ Thank you for sharing

[@stevefoster6299]

Great story...love the determination to rebuild the FT to factory specs

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@philbosworth3789]

You guys do such a wonderful job with your restorations.

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@kiwifruit27]

A really interesting video and a beautifully restored vehicle

[@wealdfoundation]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@michaelguerin56]

Excellent video. Superb research and restoration. Thank you.

[@wealdfoundation]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ChristopherBourseau]

Wow. Excellent work. Premier level!!

[@tarjei99]

Truly fascinating!

[@SebastiaanKr]

Great docu 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 ( i have seen them at Militracks few years ago )

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@HARDYSFISHINGADVENTURES]

wonderfully filmed video

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@getinthevantim]

What a fascinating process! I must admit the fact that the idler wheels were made of Oak by wheelwrights had previously escaped me.

[@kristoffermangila]

A great move by Renault, actually, making sure wheelwrights were gainfully employed during the war, something de Havilland did with the Mosquito, nearly 2 decades later.

[@alltat]

@@kristoffermangila In both cases it benefited everyone. The craftsmen got jobs and the government was able to put their skills to work for the war effort.

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@glandhound]

Renault FT-17 is probably the most influental design in the history of tanks.

[@foowashere]

Beautiful restoration, and beautiful production. Thanks for making and sharing!

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you very much!

[@thurin84]

awesome! love ft-17s!

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@jeroenvandorp5529]

geweldig werk !

[@MisterOcclusion]

I enjoyed the trivial little details, such as the lubricated wheels, the paint sampling, the fact that the panels weren't cut in metric dimensions. While it certainly lacks modern amenities, the FT was THE genesis of the modern tank. And, modern vehicles notwithstanding, it had a very long service life.

[@conceptalfa]

👍👍👍

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@Gamer_1745]

Thanks for a great video!

[@wealdfoundation]

Glad you liked it!

[@jmc7034]

Great vid

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@stevem7868-y4l]

What an interesting vid

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.

[@conceptalfa]

What is the odd "tail" in the rear???🤔🧐

[@foowashere]

The tail is there to increase the trench crossing ability, by preventing the rear end from sliding down the trench quite so easily. (Edit: grammar.)

[@SawThumbz]

I believe it is for trench crossing.

[@conceptalfa]

👍👍👍

[@thurin84]

to keep it from tipping backwards when climbing an obstacle and extend the width of trench it could cross.

[@jmsmaxwell]

They have one of these tanks down in New Orleans at the Museum. Not restored but sitting outside and you can try to climb in it. Very small and cramped. I wondered how it managed to have a crew of 3 in it.

[@wealdfoundation]

It's a crew of 2, not 3. A crew of 3 would be on the TSF.

[@StephaneP-p8h]

Was the interior of the FT17 really white inside? I am making a takom 1/16 one and theres no color mentionned in the instructions...

[@wealdfoundation]

Yes, all researched before we painted any colour in our vehicle.

[@StephaneP-p8h]

@@wealdfoundation thank you!

[@mr.x5796]

This is replica or orginal?

[@wealdfoundation]

all original of course.

[@cpawp]

The notion that 'everything [in Germany or France] was metric' is not so convincing. German guns of WW2 were surprisingly often of a caliber that seemed metricised from imperial measures, the 88mm is 3,5inch, the 3,7mm is 1,5inch, Bismarck's 38cm is around 15 inch. Dont know why and how, there seemed to be a residue of imperial measurements in German weapons construction...

[@leneanderthalien]

No, your arguments are ridiculous, and Germany did NEVER use the British imperial mesurement system and even in aviation was ONLY USE METRIC for speed and altitude both in France and Germany up to 1945...But french caliber artillery was very fast integrated in the US army, first was the 1917 est. 155mm "Grande Puissance Filloux" , he's evolution was the 155mm M59 Long Tom...Same thing for the 120mm mortar : the actual US M327 is in reality a french MO120 RT mortar...

[@VicariousReality7]

EVERYONE in the european influence used roman measurements at one time or another....

[@Molo9000]

I believe the 37mm is based on some international treaty banning any cannon under 37mm to have an explosive projectile. Naval gun calibres (88mm was originally a naval calibre) probably have their origin in pre-metric times and are just tradition. Old measurements tend to stick around in these kinds of applications. Same way EU shoe sizes still are based on an old 1/4 inch measurement shoemakers used before the metric system. Shotguns in Europe are not metric but use the English system. Germans still buy butter and some other groceries by the "Pfund" (pound). etc.

[@schwabrichard9829]

They no doubt spent more money on this project of two tanks, than the French did for all of the war time production. Frank Luke after seeing a field of burnt out FT`s. Described them as death traps. Engine overheating and fires combined with a belt drive system that constantly shredded. Only in fantasy gaming is the FT a usable tank. The US built 900+ under license, both gun and machine gun versions. Half of those were sold as scrap or given to the Canadians for training duties.

[@ArnoSchmidt70]

The guys from the Australian tank museum would have just put a caterpillar engine in it. More power, less hassle.

[@wealdfoundation]

That would not be restoring it to the original configuration.

[@ArnoSchmidt70]

@@wealdfoundation That's what i thought.

[@ak9989]

Otherwise beautiful FT!

[@wealdfoundation]

Thank you.