I recently saw a photo of Renault FT17 tanks being hauled to the front in the bed of trucks. Naturally I cannot find the photo now, but I have the 1/35 Meng Renault FT17; and I'm not sure what to do with it. If the FT17 weighs 14400lbs, would the Liberty Truck be able to haul it?

Jim

I'm not sure about the "Liberty truck" which had a weight of between 3-5 tons depending on the model. It also appears the bed might be a little too high, short and narrow to carry a 6.5 ton FT 17. The Mack AC was used as a prime mover for the FT 17 though. There is a 1/72 RPM kit of a Mack AC with an FT 17 in the truck bed. The British and US Army bought thousands of Mack AC trucks between 1916 and 1922. The AC was around into the 30s, and carried several different types of loads, but it also was a good transporter for the light FT17. The Army even did long distance cross country driving trials with the Mack AC along the Lincoln Highway that stretched across the entire US from the East to West coast in The 20s.
VR, Russ

Resin kit by MMK


Manufacturers website:
http://www.mmk.cz/en/models/detail/124

A bargain at 70 Euro
/ Robin

Hey Robin-- that looks like a great kit and is a real bargain at 70 euros!
VR, Russ

Another option for a French Army FT (not the cheapest option though...) :

Knox tractor + La Buire trailer :



Both kits have been released by Blitz :

https://www.blitz-kit.fr/liste-produit.php?cat=vehicule

H.P.

Knox tractor: https://www.blitz-kit.fr/fiche-produit.php?ref=35FS%201040&cat=vehicule
LaBuire trailer: https://www.blitz-kit.fr/fiche-produit.php?ref=35FS%201041&cat=vehicule

The second "trailer" is the dolly used when the LaBuire was used as a full trailer.
The trailer could also be towed by the Renault EG:
https://www.blitz-kit.fr/fiche-produit.php?ref=35FS%201041&cat=vehicule


Good quality resin kits.
/ Robin

That Mack AC looks like a nice easy build the only problem is its resin we need the Mack AC,1917 liberty 3 ton and the FWD trucks in plastic with US markings

Another option:

Renault FU 7.5t truck and a trailler



Another Renault FU

Sweet reference material guys - Kudos!

Thanks for the replies, guys. I had a feeling that the Liberty Truck would be too "light" for the FT. I have a Mack AC in 1/24 scale, but obviously that won't work. The 1/35 resin kit that Robin posted would work perfectly, but €70 seems a little steep, although it looks like a very well detailed kit.

All of this started when I saw the 2018 ICM Catalogue & it had a 1/35 Liberty truck in it.

Thanks again for all the help.

Jim

Maybe you could do "some", or rather a lot, of scratch building based on the 1/24 model and make a scaled down copy in 1/35
/ Robin

Now that would be a complete disaster that I don't think anyone would want to see!

Jim

I'll bet if you wait a year or two more, there will be a new 1/35 styrene Mack AC. I'm surprised ICM released a Liberty truck before a Mack, but both are welcome. They also released a "Marne Taxi" which was a real surprise, and they and others have been releasing different Model T versions. It seems like every day there is a new WWI kit being released now. Looks like WWI kits are finally getting the attention they deserve.
VR, Russ

That's probably a good idea. Hopefully ICM will release a 1/35 Mack AC, but I guess it really depends on the people at Mack & Volvo if they want to license it or not.

With the 100th Anniversary of World War I, it seems that many of the modeling companies are jumping on the WWI Bandwagon. I, for one, am glad.

Jim

I realize that this is an old thread, but found where that reference photo was of the FT17 in the truck bed. It's in this video from Simple History at 1:52: WWI Tanks: FT-17 Light Tank.

Jim

Yep-- I think those are Renault trucks and French FT17s, although they could be Macks too-- they look similar from the rear quarter. The U.S. Army sent Mack's to France, along with FWDs and Liberty trucks as well. We also borrowed from the French and British, becoming a true "hand-me-down" Army in 1917-18. FT17s were used by the US Army in the attack at Beney during the St. Mihiel operation in September 1918. George Patton personally led the attack. The French supplied a lot of the logistics for that operation.
VR, Russ

Thanks, Russ.

I'm really hoping that a styrene Mack AC gets issued in 1/35 as the resin one from MMK is just a little to price for me. It does look like a nice kit, though.

Jim

i made the mistake to scratch build a M1917 liberty truck in 1 35 scale took me a year and a half and had to rebuild the frame 8 times and I had to use all the wheels and suspension components from a old 1 32 scale airfix british fire engine
never again will i attempt to scratch build anything. thank god that ICM is coming out with the M1917 Liberty truck in 1 35 scale
now someone needs to do the Mack AC and the FWD trucks in plastic in 1 35 scale
Are you listening ICM???

One can only hope!

Jim