AMT 1/72 Razor Crest

The 1/72 Razor Crest is quite big with sizeable 13″ length. As mentioned (somewhere) on the Internet, both Revell and AMT were given the data of the model. In the end, Revell came out first in 2021 while AMT was in 2022.

AMT 1/72 Razor Crest
The moment Starship Modeler announced that the AMT model is in their stores, I bought it immediately.
I was looking for the Revell version which came out in 2021 but did not have any luck as they were either sold out or, unable to ship to Malaysia.
So, the AMT version was easier to get than the rare Revell.
John Lester of Starship Modeler also gave me a very nice souvenir
This is the back art of the box which portrayed the model in its finished state.

REVELL vs AMT

By now, everyone would either have a Revell or an AMT or even both. So, yes, they would be making comparisons between the two. Just like when Bandai’s 1/72 Millennium Falcon was compared with the decades earlier Finemolds. For my own, I am just going to highlight the main differences.

IN A NUTSHELL

Revell

  1. Crisp surface details
  2. Has an interior
  3. It was not designed for lighting so you’d need to get aftermarket or 3D printed parts from third party peeps.

AMT

  1. Soft surface details
  2. Has no interior but an upturned bulge to take in the rod
  3. The model, especially the Engines, are designed for lighting
  4. It has Grogu in the Cradle
  5. Two version of decals, plus one for the cockpit floor.

The decals for the Razor Crest is much better than Revell’s but we have never seen a ‘Like-new’ Razor Crest in the show.
Another plus point is that there is a decal for the cockpit’s flooring.
AMT’s copy was designed to have lighting. These two circles are for the engine, where the middle stalk is meant for a LED, I suppose.

20230319 THE REVELL COPY

And so, finally, I was able to get a copy of the elusive model after more than two years. And yes, I got it from eBay which was surprisingly, much cheaper than before. When the model first came out, I was very interested and was prepared to use my sub-standard modeling skills to carve out holes in the solid engine part. The driving passion for this model was that it has a Cargo Bay. Still, I am thankful for the AMT kit which I got first without much issues. It was this kit which was designed for lighting which helped greatly in developing the lighting system.

And now, the Revell kit is going to help me in lighting the cargo bay.

With eBay’s Global Shipping Program, the Revell actually arrived a week earlier then their stated eta and I was very, very surprised.
Shipping from anywhere outside Malaysia is usually from three weeks to a month.
The Revell box is bigger and shorter in height. My worries of parts being damaged or spilling out was unfounded despite their box design.
But it is also the Seller’s effort which made sure nothing was damaged. But yes, I cannot stack the box though.

AMT VS REVELL.DE

This was the WTF moment I was talking about earlier.
When I took the first runner out, I was taken aback by the crisp details on the surface of the upper fuselage. Every panel line was straight and crisp. However, after that moment of wonder, I realised that I would need to go over the model with some fine sanding as the surface was rough. This will affect the metallic painting process later on. The need a smooth surface to work on.
With both companies having the same data, both models came out almost the same, as if they were twin from different source.
I say ‘almost’ because like the “ERTL effect” where the model looked perfect until you are a about three feet away, there are some differences.
The Revell plastic does feel softer which, I hope would be easy for me to carve out holes from the engine part.
I would like to keep the lower sink mark in, as if this was a dent from some collision. Normal modeling procedures would insist on filling it with putty.
This is the Escape Pod. How the former owners or Din Djaring came to that decision is unknown. It was a military craft, possibly during\the pre-Empire (Clone Wars?).
Also, the ship does not have a name but it belongs to the Razor Cresst Class.
In this image, I am stupidly comparing the details between the Haslab, Revell and AMT. This actually not important since we seldom see the top[ of the craft.
Inset image of Haslab Razor Crest courtesy of thefwoosh.,com
Man, if the Episodes did show how Din Djarin uses the Escape Pod, this, I guess that would this be the details. Since this is not shown in the Series, I don’t think I can consider the design canon. But then again, this is not an issue since the Razor Crest was destroyed by an Imperial Cruiser in season two.
Inset image of Haslab Razor Crest courtesy of thefwoosh.,com
But just for fun, I really liked Revell’s version where the Escape Pod’s window is very detailed.
The Revell;s detail on the rear light are much more pronounced.
But then again, it’s going to be destroyed when I drill holes for the LED to come through.
On another note, I am quite miffed that the open rectangle panel below the lights are more detailed than the AMT version. Still, I ope the LED is able to cast shadows on the Revell’s panel but I am not that optimistic yet.
So, this is not straight but off a little as Revell also has it. I was hoping it was some kind of spotlights for when the ramp is lowered but in Season1. Episode $: The Sanctuary showed that the ramp lights came from inside the Cargo Bay.
Man, the Revell’s details beat the AMT by a lot and it is clear as Night and Day, despite some issues.
However, the AMT was designed with lighting in mind and all the relevant parts has been prepared for you.
But, Revell has another trump card, which is its interior cargo bay and I have managed to light it.

WORKING UPDATES AND NOTES

20221205 Testing the Chin Lights
20221211 Testing the 0.25w Top Hat LED
20221215 Testing the COB LED
20221231 Engine PCB First LED test
20230423 Engine Test with Two Modes

PCB Design

20221220 Engine PCB First version aka v3.0
20230105 Populating the Engine PCB (33 LEDs)
20230126 The Control Board First Version aka v2 (AMT Version)
20230216 Populating the Main Board v2.0
20230304 Engine PCB ver 4.0
20230412 Main Board ver 3.0
20230625 Engine PCB ver Reflow
20230713 Main Board ver 4B pt. 1
20230716 Main Board ver 4B pt. 2
20230822 Razor Crest Front PCB
20230924 Razor Crest Engine PCB reflow Stencil
20230930 Preparing the SMT reflow Stencil
20231113 Reflow Soldering on the Razor Crest Engine PCB
20240201 Main Board ver 5.0 pt.1
20240217 Main Board ver 5.0 pt. 2

Lighting Detail Discussion

20230104 Red Navigation Lights Part 1
20230201 Mimicking the Engine’s Lighting Effects
20230222 The Engine Lighting Effects video
20230301 The Engine Flicker Explained
20230301 Testing the Engines
20230302 Choosing the right Engine LED
20230306 Red Navigation Lights Part 2
20230306 Driving the 33 LED Engine with PWM
20230307 Side Wall Lighting Details
20230308 Landing Gears and Ramp Lighting
20230319 The Revell Razor Crest Part1
20230320 The Revell Razor Crest Part 2
20230321 The Revell Razor Crest Part 3

Production Notes and Miscellaneous

20230305 Catering for the Revell.de version
20230325 Razor Crest Paint Test Part 0
20230325 Razor Crest Paint Test Part 1
20230407 Main Board Re-Design
20230422 Houston, we’ve had a problem
20230424 How Shiny is the Razor Crest?
20230428 14 Clear Coats tested by Barbatos Rex
20230430 Are we there yet?
20230506 Replacement Part from Revell.de
20230507 Revell’s Cargo Bay Test Lighting
20230518 Speeding up the Soldering
20230520 First Prototype to a Friend
20230528 Last-minute Lightbulb pt.1
20230528 Last-minute Lightbulb pt.2

OTHER Razor Crest Builds

By Totemi Toys
By Spencer Pollard’s Kit Box
By Andy Moore
By Poakwoods
By Hedonist Farmer
By keymodelworld

Still Fishing
Piscean Works