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Hello all -

We’ve added a photo gallery of the FT-17 on display at the US Army Education and Heritage Center in Carlisle, PA.

www.vgbimages.com/AFV-...615_md4gc7





The complex is expanding and appears to be well funded.

The Heritage Trail at the USAHEC is very impressive and filled with fascinating stuff - recreations of: a WWI trench system, WWII Barracks and Camp buildings, a Vietnam Firebase, Civil war cabins, etc.
Lots of AFVs sprinkled around as well. The gallery of photos from the Heritage Trail is under construction - I’ll post it when it is finished.

Cheers,
VB

You used a tripod for the first shot?

Massimo

Wow.

The FT17 sure looks a whole lot better than it did when it was transferred.

Thanks for the photos

Regards
Don

that's a real beauty. I really love the colour/paint/aspect of the tank. The FT tank at Fort Meade looks like a Christmas tree compared to this one.

P-O

- Massimo_Foti

You used a tripod for the first shot?

Massimo

Yep - it was dark in there!! Also used my new Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 lens.

We both shot from tripods and Mrs. VB used the monopod held overhead to shoot over the wall of the exhibit.

P-O Funny that you mention the Fort Meade FT-17 - working on a gallery of the Fort Meade Museum vehicles - including interior shots of the Mark VIII at the moment. Will post when I can.

Cheers,
VB

- vagabond

Yep - it was dark in there!!

I took a look at the Exif and based on the exposition time I figured out you used a tripod. The end result is wonderful.
Ideally we should use tripods whenever possible (see "megashorts" collection of Bovington's pictures on Flickr). But it requires an outrageous amount of time...

- vagabond

Also used my new Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 lens.

I own that lens since a few years and just love it! It's amazing the amount of light it can captures in low light, sometimes I feel like its aperture is wider than 2.8. It's tack sharp even wide open and I enjoy its build quality too. The AF isn't that fast, but at those focal lengths usually it doesn't matter. Just be aware it doesn't handles flares very well.

I know I mentioned this lens in the past, not sure if I contributed to your choice, but I am sure you are going to enjoy it.

- vagabond

We both shot from tripods and Mrs. VB used the monopod held overhead to shoot over the wall of the exhibit.

So you've got a remote trigger for the Panasonic, what model?

Massimo

- Dontos

Wow.

The FT17 sure looks a whole lot better than it did when it was transferred.

Thanks for the photos

Regards
Don

Where was the gun when it was at Knox? My pics of this vehicle there don't have one mounted in the Patton Museum

Massimo -

Sending you a PM about the camera stuff.

Doug

Here is how she looked when it was loaded up on the truck at Richardson Motor Pool.





Obviously it must have been added during its restoration.

Regards
Don

- Dontos

Doug

Here is how she looked when it was loaded up on the truck at Richardson Motor Pool.

Regards
Don

Must have been repainted twice since '06...this is how she looked then. Might be a class 60 vehicle by now.

Hey VB,
Still looking forward to the Watervliet gallery!

Neil

Doug

I found out from a contact at AHEC that the FT 17 was restored at Carlisle (inhouse). The gun is a 'vismod' fabrication.

The interior was in very poor condition when it left here. It sustained some fracturing in route. During the restoration work some steel plates had to be replaced/reinforced.

Regards
Don

- Dontos

Doug

I found out from a contact at AHEC that the FT 17 was restored at Carlisle (inhouse). The gun is a 'vismod' fabrication.

The interior was in very poor condition when it left here. It sustained some fracturing in route. During the restoration work some steel plates had to be replaced/reinforced.

Regards
Don

They seem to have done a pretty nice job. I don't care much for that interim camo paint job, but maybe that's just me. Camo sometimes actually does it's job of breaking up lines, which isn't necessarily desirable on an historical vehicle, IMO. Some interpretations look outrageously garish on the truly older types, to these old eyes.

Are you sure that's an FT-17? I thought FT-17s had their silencers on the other side.
Cheers
John

I suspect this a mix and match tank using the chassis of a Renault FT (just FT as the FT17 never ever existed and will never) with a US 6 ton tank turret.
Here are the points to determine this is a FT chassis:
- the engine exhaust is at the right hand side with tool box supports on the left hand side,
- the front of the chassis forks is angled or straight rather than rounded at their front end on the 6 ton tank,
- many rivets seems to be of a bullet proof profile, typical of a French tank of that period,
- the idler wheels are wooden built which is typical of the early FT's built either by Renault or Berliet rather than metallic and flat for the 6 ton tank,
- the foundry marks on the tracks also make me think of a French tank, not US,
- the side vision plates for the driver are flat, they are beveled on the US tank,
- the front pilot hatch is also typical of the French built tank,
- the crossing tail with pigtail also looks typical of a French tank
- the turret with this kind of mantlet with a 37mm gun makes me think of the M1916 37mm used in the 6 ton tank not the French mantelet. I might be wrong, but this is my guess at seeing these pictures.