The M1917 was fitted with a single Budha HU modified 4-cylinder, 4-cycle vertical L-band gasoline engine delivering some 42 horsepower at 1,460rpm. This supplied the tank with an anemic 5 mile per hour top speed (barely giving it speed to keep up with moving formations of infantry) and a range out to 30 miles - a far cry when compared to the capabilities of today's modern systems but excellent for the time period in question.
The "M1917A1" variant was an improved American design of the FT-17/M1917 that saw the rear hull lengthened to accept a Franklin engine of 100 horsepower. A self-starter was added to take the place of the original crank start process. Additional changes over that of the French copy included all-steel road wheels set within the pair of revolving tracks, an octagonal turret (as opposed to the rounded French-designed turret) and additional viewing slots for the driver. Maintenance was further improved upon to help facilitate repetitive processes in keeping the M1917 running optimally.
Beginning in 1919, the M1917 was fitted with the 0.30 caliber Browning M1919 machine gun in place of the available 0.30 caliber Marlin type. Furthermore, the machine gun could be replaced in the turret with a more formidable M1916 37mm cannon. 4,200 rounds of 0.30 caliber ammunition could be carried aboard or up to 238 37mm projectiles as needed. A total of 526 M1917s were ultimately completed with their standard machine gun armament in place while a further 374 were completed with cannon armament. One other form of the base M1917 existed as a "signal tank" and was fielded sans the listed armament in 50 completed examples.
Van Dorn Iron Works continued post-war production of the M1917 6-ton. Additional manufacturers of the M1917 ultimately included the Maxwell Motor Company and the C.L. Best Company.
The Canadian Army purchased 250 overstock - though obsolete - M1917s in 1940, the tanks already since having reached their pinnacle some decades before.
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