THOMAS SALTER STARCRUISER MISSION KIT MYSTERIES

I've blogged about this before.

The Starcruiser Mission Kit by Thomas Salter Toys, 1979.

Although arriving in toy shops over 10 years later than Project SWORD toys I have often wondered whether a SWORD version of this would have worked. Would you have wanted one readers?

The Starcruiser toy itself appears to be a generic Thomas Salter design as they used it again for Buck Rogers [I wonder who the kid is on the Starcruiser box? A Salter?]

I sometimes also compare Starcruiser with SWORD in terms of project evolution over at Century 21. SWORD was a toy range backed up by a comic 'strip'. As far as I know it was never considered as a TV show and certainly not developed as such in any way.

It began and ended as a toy line with associated comics and books. Pure and simple.

Starcruiser appears to be the reverse. Formed as a TV concept, it failed to materialise as a show and only then spawned the toys, models and comic strip. Is this right? Was this a way for Gerry to make at least something out of it? Did it work: were the toy sales driven by the strip?

A final Starcruiser thought is simply one of toy identification

This is the Dinky Space Battle Cruiser.

Is it the same as the Airfix Starcruiser Interceptor readers?

Does the Dinky toy mention Starcruiser on the box? If not, why not?

Anyone got both of them?