Renault FT17 French Light Tank 3D model

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The Renault FT, commonly referred to as the "FT-17" or "FT17", was a French light tank that revolutionized and influenced tank designs throughout history. It was the first production tank with its armament in a fully rotating turret, and it set the standard layout for subsequent tanks. Over 3,000 Renault FTs were manufactured by French industry, primarily in 1918, while another 950 of an almost identical licensed version (the M1917) were built in the United States but not deployed in time for combat. Armored warfare historian Steven Zaloga has called the Renault FT "the world's first modern tank." Designed in 1916 and produced from April 1917 to December 1918, this light tank had a weight of 6.5 tonnes, measured 5 meters in length with a width of 1.74 meters, and stood 2.14 meters high. The crew consisted of two members, and the armor ranged from 8 to 22mm. It was armed with either a Puteaux SA 1918 37mm gun or an 8mm Hotchkiss machine gun. The Renault FT's engine was a 4-cylinder, 4.5-liter water-cooled gasoline model, and it had a power/weight ratio of 5 hp/tonne. The transmission featured sliding gears with four speeds forward and one in reverse, while steering was achieved through the use of two subsidiary clutches controlling each track. The suspension consisted of vertical springs, and the fuel capacity was 95 liters, providing an operational range of approximately 60 km (37 mi).