Model: M1917 6-Ton Light Tank or FTS
Reviewed by: Eric Christianson, IPMS # 42218
Scale: 1/35
Company: Vargas
Price: $49.95
Product/Stock #: R3D-35-157
Website: Vargas Scale Models
Product Web Page: View
Product provided by: Vargas Scale Models

Reviewer’s Comments:

Vargas Scale Models has historically occupied a niche specializing in unusual, 3-D printed, limited-run resin armor models, mostly pre- and between World Wars. So far this has been a winning strategy for this prolific company, fleshing out all those subjects ignored by others. This offering continues in that tradition.

The M1917 was the United States' first mass-produced tank, entering production shortly before the end of World War I. It was a license-built, near-copy of the French Renault FT17, and was intended to arm the American Expeditionary Forces in France. American manufacturers, however, failed to produce any in time to take part in the War. Of the 4,440 ordered, about 950 were eventually completed. These remained in service throughout the 1920s but did not take part in any combat, and were phased out during the 1930s.

The Kit

In this release, the modeler can choose to build one of two versions of the M1917. A combat version with three options for armament, and a command ‘FTS’ version, which replaces the turret with a highly detailed, flat-sided armored observation box.

Some of the molded-on detail is breathtakingly thin, such as the brackets that hold the on-board tools. These are so perfectly engineered that I was able to firmly ‘click’ the various shovels and hammers, etc. into place. Vargas also provides its usual handful of random parts (crates, sandbags, helmets, etc.) for enhancing the vehicle and/or diorama.

The M1917 comes with a basic interior, which is unusual for Vargas, that includes a driver’s seat, steering/brake controls, foot pedals, and a wall-mounted fire extinguisher. The two-piece, overhead hatch that reveals the interior is detailed on both sides for those who wish to show off this area.

The track and running gear are provided as a single piece, one for each side, and are beautifully detailed with prominent AMSCO manufacturer’s forging stamps on each link.

As with most 3-D printed kits, the Vargas sprues do not have any old-school poured-resin blocks to remove; instead, each sprue contains dozens of very thin connecting rods that are part of the printing process. This makes the parts very simple to remove from the sprues. Most of the smaller parts are printed within a flexible, protective ‘cage’ of resin. There is cleanup required, to be sure, but nothing like what I would normally expect for a limited-run, resin subject.

The dark-grey resin is firm but sands easily enough, and there are some very slight surface striations on some of the curved parts that require attention, making preparation more important than with typical styrene kits. Minor flaws are easily removed with the sanding stick or simply filled with a primer such as Gunze 1000 or 1200 Mr. Surfacer primer. Comparatively, however, these models are shipped good-to-go. Vargas pulls everything together without resorting to using photo-etch or other finicky mediums, which is a big plus (for me, at least).

I spent about four hours assembling the vehicle and about twice that painting and weathering it.

The contents of the box include:

• Main Hull, packaged separately
• Two Track & Bogie assemblies, packaged together
• Two sprues of all the remaining parts, each packaged separately
• An 8-page, color instruction booklet consisting of two, full-size sheets, folded in half. All text and label information are printed in English.

There are no markings included in the kit; those in the images of the completed model were purchased separately on eBay from Decalomaniacs! – see the ‘Decals’ section, below, for more information.

The Instructions

As with most limited-run kits, the instructions are brief and not always ‘enough’. Assembly requires test fitting and comparing what you have to drawings and images of the real thing, easily found on-line. In place of text, Vargas provides simple CAD images from the printing process itself for use as a rough go-by to start with. Fortunately, each piece is shown assembled and printed in a different color from the one adjoining it, which makes things a little easier to follow. If you have built limited-run kits before, this one is typical – a lot of testing and sometimes adjusting surfaces to fit. Fortunately, the images are rendered from several angles so you are rarely forced to guess about how things go on ‘the other side.’

Clean Before You Start

Even though there are relatively few parts in this kit, a 3-D printed model requires a good amount of preparation before assembly. Each piece on the sprues is held in place by dozens of very, very thin connection points that are easily removed, sometimes simply by twisting the part, as is the case with the track and running gear. Once separated from the sprue, the soft gray resin is easily cleaned with a knife and/or sanding sticks. While there are very minor striation marks on round parts, such as the turret or barrel, these are easily removed with the sanding stick or simply filled with primer. With all the parts cleaned and free of defects, I was ready for assembly.

The Build

Assembly was straightforward and nearly hassle-free, and starts with the interior. Attachment points are very small on the detail, but their relatively light weight won’t need much CA glue to stay in place, as long as you are careful during painting and weathering. I wanted to make the interior visible so I left the two hatches off until the end for fear of damaging them in subsequent steps.

The FTS substructure that replaces the turret in the command version has no opening or attached detail, so it (would/could) be attached next, if that’s what you are building. The turret otherwise can be assembled and put aside, to be attached later. I also left the pioneer tools off for painting after realizing that they literally ‘snapped’ into place under their brackets molded on the hull. I also left the muffler and track sections off, to be attached after painting. The back trench spanner is a single piece – I had to sand four rivets off to make it seat firmly on the hull. This leaves a couple of tow and lifting hooks left to attach, and that was that – assembly complete! With the major parts still separated for painting (hull, track/bogie assemblies, on-board tools, muffler, and two front hatches), I was headed for the paint booth. Vargas models are perfect for modelers like me, who enjoy the ‘finishing’ steps to those involving assembly!

Painting and Finish

There are few, if any, color pictures of the M1917 online, but there is an excellent set of color schemes available on the WarDrawings website [M1917 6-ton], including s striking image of a Chinese 1926 Expeditionary Force version with US Marine markings – which is the vehicle I chose to represent. The lighter colors serve to highlight the incredible detail found in this Vargas offering. Here is a breakdown of the colors and materials I used to finish the build:

Decals

Vargas Scale Models does not produce decals for this kit, but has entered into a relationship with Decalcomaniacs! [Decalcomaniacs | eBay Stores] for that purpose. The excellent (but very thin) markings for the M1917 Special Tractor include schemes for nine different vehicles (DM-065), and must be trimmed vary carefully. I chose to use the one that represents a U.S. Marine vehicle used in the Chinese 1926 Expeditionary Force. The decals went on without any issues using the red and blue Microscale system.

Conclusion

This is my seventh Vargas kit and, as always, the build was a breeze. It is not unusual for me to open the box and finish assembly in the same afternoon. Luis Vargas does a solid job researching his subjects, and the superb design and engineering that went into his kits is readily apparent. And accuracy - a few days after I started researching my build of the M1917, I received a new set of track assemblies in the mail. Another modeler had provided Vargas with new information, and just like that, (minor) changes were made and the new version was sent out. As I said with the most recent (and every) Vargas project – each one makes me want to build another. As with any all-resin project, this kit has its challenges, but these are minor compared to resin kits of old. This build was straightforward enough, however, for any modeler to finish. Having a solid working knowledge of alternative adhesives (CA Glue, epoxy, and/or ‘fortified’ white glues) would certainly be a plus.

I would like to heartedly thank Luis Vargas at Vargas Scale Models for providing this kit for review, and to IPMS USA for giving me the opportunity to build it.