RPM Renault FT-17-Z- Fumatorami

[PatW]

A little if not a lot weird!

 

[PatW]

Perhaps my last full price model kit! Since changing from Windows 10 to 11, ebay has blocked my account of 19 years requesting numerous items of identification! Also this identification has to be photographed and sent to a 'Verify' by smartphone that we don't have or use! Although speaking to five Ebay humans they say this is the only way to re-open my Ebay account! I call this pensioner discrimination! I use Ebay for the discounted kits that I can't afford at full price!

 

[PatW]

Started today, lots of fiddly little bits in bright green plastic!

 

[PatW]

Build, so far!

 

[Jakko]

Wait, the plastic is neon-green?

 

[PatW]

Yes it is neon Green except for the actual Fumatorami parts that are dark grey!

 

[Jakko]

Revell uses that colour plastic for kits intended to be given away for free at events to interest young people in modelling by building them there. I don't think I've seen it for a store-bought kit except ones meant to glow in the dark or something

 

[PatW]

Oh they produce on high viz plastic as give aways? After 70 years of this hobby I never knew that!

 

[Jakko]

I didn't either until five weeks ago I was at a model show where there was also a stand from Scale Model Factory, the people behind one of Europe's premier model shows, Scale Model Challenge. They had a load of bags with Revell aircraft kits in the same kind of green plastic as your FT, and when I asked the man behind SMF/SMC (who I recognised because he had a name tag on) about those, he told me they get those for free from Revell as promotional material, for kids to build at model shows. And he complained that Revell is about the only one who still helps with that.

 

[PatW]

How do we change the heading to FORMATORAMI please? As per the box art?

 

[urumomo]

Done

 

[Ron2]

A little if not a lot weird!

View attachment 172267

It's definitely different!

 

[PatW]

OK but the tracks are a big pain! Thick plastic/rubber, difficult to bend, weedy structure with tiny, tiny rollers, fallen to pieces. Will use sprue to try and rebuild it! Possibly dip tracks in hot water to shape!

 

[Jakko]

How do we change the heading to FORMATORAMI please?

Click the Edit link under the first message.

Also, if you want it to be accurate, you need to lose the hyphens The letter z there is not part of any designation but is Polish for "with". The box title basically says "Gas Tank FT 17 with smoke/gas discharger", AFAIK.

(And I need to remark here that the tank was never called "FT 17" despite everyone thinking it was. Renault's designation was simply "FT", with historians adding the "17" at some point.)

 

[PatW]

Yes Jakko and thank you for the heads up. I understand the Polish army tried and tested but it was too unreliable to waste time on!

 

[PatW]

Nearly there!

 

[PatW]

Ah all done!

 

[Edbert]

Splendid work on the tank Pat.

Your problems with eBay are strange, must have to with compliance with EU laws. I'm o fan of Win11 but do not think it is what caused this, nor eBay in general because I have a 1990s account that is still alive and have used it since moving to Win11.

 

[PatW]

Ah Edbert it is a smoke machine! It didn't like Win 11 here though, my wife had to open a new ebay account!

 

[Jakko]

must have to with compliance with EU laws.

Unlikely, IMHO, as Pat is in the UK (AFAIK), which famously left the EU some years ago The problem more likely is some administrative black box behind the scenes at eBay — meaning you'll never ever get to the bottom of it

 

[PatW]

Yes Jakko, but we are out of the EU now, but I don't know why our Government keep giving France Billions of Pounds to stop the Immigration as it's getting bigger. As it April Fools Day here today up to 12o'clock mid day someone suggested the money was the French Police to buy knives to try and puncture each boat as they tried to leave Calais!