Following on from Woodsy’s post about the Starcruiser
Mission set, here’s the 1978 Airfix clip – together kit from Airfix .
As Yorkie’s comment pointed out it was loosely based on an original design by
model maker, Martin Bower, for an apparent proposed but ultimately ill-fated
live action series created by Gerry Anderson and Fred Freiberger. However, aspects
of the concept did survive as part of a marketing exercise.
The original design obviously took a little inspiration from
spacecraft designs in Space: 1999 and The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity. (Martin
Bower’s original model can be seen on his own web site)
However, to accommodate the commercial release of the kit
Martin had to do several redesigns and prototypes. I’d imagine the Airfix toy
differs from the original design so as to accommodate the clip-together aspect
of kit.
Starcruiser, according to the accompanying instructions is a
modular space ship made up of four sections – The Main Unit, the Command Module
at the front, the Command Base slung
under the main unit, and the Interceptor Unit , a one-man gunship attached to
the top of the main unit.
Aimed at the younger modeller, this 1/48 scale kit once all
clipped together can separate into the each of the four sections.
My kit, which at this moment in time is simply clipped
together until I can get round to do a proper assembly and paint job isn’t a
bad looking toy, even if it is just a Gerry Anderson curiosity.
I think the box artwork is very nice, although I’m not sure
what to make of the crudely drawn ‘videoprint’ strip at the bottom.
The back of the assembly instructions also contain a comic
strip, A Starcruiser Typical Mission Sequence, drawn by the artist David
Jeffreris who drew the Starcruiser strip
in Look -In.
And on a final note even though Starcruiser never made it to a TV series the Airfix kit does make a brief appearance during the additional scenes that were shot for the Space:1999 compilation movie,' Alien Attack' as a desktop model.
I recall buying this kit in the late 1970s, was both a big fan of Airfix models and Gerry Anderson so was a win-win purchase !
ReplyDeleteFor those keeping track, Fred Freiberger was a once network producer for NBC television, he brought us Super Train and was the primary suspect in the murder of Star Trek (TOS).
To be honest, Patron I don't think Fred Freiberger did a lot for the second season of Space: 1999 in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteHad the US version of this in the '70s as well.
ReplyDeleteEven the it confuse me on how the crew might move to each section without going outside the ship
That's a good point, Gordon. Unless they put on a spacesuit I guess the crew would have to stay in their own bit!
DeleteThis used to get some people very excited on a certain forum (I got kicked-off for defending copyright), it was part of the brief release during the Palitoy takeover (1980) and should have two 1:76 scale-downs from the 1:32 figure set?
ReplyDeleteI think it's a clumsy and rather ugly 'toy', hinting more toward why they'd (Airfix) just gone bust!!!
Hugh (bah-humbug!)
It's certainly not a sleek looking ship, Hugh, although it's not as bad as the Airfix Cosmic Clipper which came out shortly after.
ReplyDeleteIts odd you know, I think Starcruiser appears to be more well known than Project SWORD. I can't explain this. SWORD ran for 50 weeks in TV21 and had a huge fleet of toys. Starcruiser can't have had this much material yet it seems better remembered. Maybe its 'cos i9t was in the Seventoes rather than the Sixties?
ReplyDeleteNever really thought of Starcruiser being more better known than Sword, Woodsy.
DeleteMaybe the popularity of Space :1999 in the mid to late seventies helped it along and by that time a solid fan base for Gerry Anderson shows had begun to form. Plus, of course Star Wars was helping to make Sci .fi cool.
I'm just interested in why projects like SWORD and Starcruiser never made it to the next level at Century 21 i.e onto the screen. I seem to remember Gerry having thought SWORD was too depressing a storyline. What was the Starcruiser backstory? It must be popular Mike, you've got 109 hits!
ReplyDeleteNot totally sure about the Starcruiser premise Woodsy. From what I can gather it was a more juvenile version of The Day After Tomorrow:Into Infinity pilot film about a family living in space.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the figures come with the cosmic clipper?
ReplyDeleteCosmic clipper was a much different scale, figures for that would have been about a quarter inch high, more like the tiny Gagarin that stood next to the Airfix Vostok.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone got pics of the separate larger scale Interceptor kit?
ReplyDeleteWonder why the Interceptor made it as a Dinky toy and the Starcruiser didn't .l believe there was talk of a die cast coming out .
ReplyDeleteDo you reckon that chunky Dinky ship is a lift from the Interceptor?
ReplyDeleteI think so. The design of the dinky galactic battle cruiser is certainly influenced by the interceptor .
ReplyDeleteCouple of comments here..:
ReplyDelete1) I remember seeing that after I finally got over the demise of 1999 (well, 'I'm still NOT really over it..'), and it looked seriously lame. I soon realized Sylvia was SO MUCH more responsible for the visual appeal of 1999 than Gerry was. Uggh. Stupid idea, sillier concept.
2) Fred was NOT the culprit in Trek's 3rd year of woes.... Seriously. Read the TOS actor's comments on Trek Wiki (Memory Alpha). Fred tried to keep it going but without Gene, Gene Coon, and most of the creative staff from it's 2nd year..., whoooo'dya got left..?
3) SCOOP said "I don't think Fred Freiberger did a lot for the second season of Space: 1999 in my opinion"..?? Umm, Fred did what he was told. Sir Lew and the NY office basically wanted it to be like Trek for 1999 to be renewed for a 2nd year. Unfortunately..., that's what you ended up with. At least the scary style and mythos could cover up bad episodes in Year 1, not so in Year 2 ('course you had 'Brian the Brain' as well.. 'Whaaat were they thinking..?')