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The following description was taken from Greenberg’s guide to Marks toys volume 2
Cross Country Flyer: 1929. 19” high. This handsome flyer which sold for $1.00 in 1929. The toy consists of a tower, airplane in zeppelin,. What makes this tweet different from previous fliers, However, is the addition of a hanger at the base of the tower where the zeppelin and airplane can be disconnected and stored well these detachable toys are and extra plus for children in collectors alike their detachability contributes many times to the toys being lost and incomplete.
This large toy measures approximately 19 inches high, The hanger 6 ½ in.², Any arm 38 inches long. The four to half inch weighted zeppelin is the same one used in the sky flyer but it reads cross country flyer it has a movable celluloid propeller.
The good-looking biplane is approximately 6” in length with the 7 “ wingspan. It is similar in shape, color and markings to the plane in the daredevil flyer, except that the cross country flyer as a silver fuselage and no windows. The airplane operates on its own power when the key in the rear of the tale is wound. The metal propeller revolves in the plane and Zeppelin fly around the tower. The yellow tower has lithograph black scaffolding and sits on a dark orange hanger with “AirMail Hanger” in black with two arrows on each side of the name and 41 in black in back of the hanger. The hangar is lithograph with four windows, each on three sides. it opens up in the front for storing the detachable pieces. When the front doors are closed lithography shows one man holding the hanger door open while another man moves an airplane.
The entire toy gives an appearance of sturdiness, which is enhanced by the addition of the hanger.
For reference:
The following description was taken from Grandoldtoys.com.
One of the most unique tower flyers was the tin litho Marx No.1010 Cross Country Flyer. It uses five parts which are unique to this specific toy. In other words they're not used in any other Marx product making it one of the most difficult tower toys to find complete and in working condition. Even more difficult is to find it with its original box.
Includes a biplane - (6¼" long, 7" wingspan) Single pilot with clockwork, spring powered motor. Silver fuselage with yellow propeller, red wheels, and tomato, green, and yellow wings. The underside of the wings are green and blue. The top wing is identical to the single wing monoplane used by Marx for their Dare Devil Flyer toy which was produced the same year. The "MAR" logo appears on both rear horizontal tail wings. It has an attached key located in the tail.
Zeppelin - 5" Gray and red with black and yellow striping with a single red celluloid propeller located at the tail. Both sides are marked "Cross Country Flyer". A lead weight sealed inside the airship makes it a perfectly balanced counterweight.
Beacon tower - 13½" Slender conical design topped with lithoed girders and a blue mushroom shaped cap.
Airmail Hanger - 4" tall, 6½" square base, Dark orange with four arched windows on three sides. The fourth side was lithoed with an image of the biplane coming out of the hanger. Two workmen are shown opening the barn style doors. The door is latched at the top and hinged near the bottom. It folds down and can accommodate the plane and zeppelin as a storage container (not recommended).
3pc. steel rod and polished tin, folding support beam. 38". The widest of any tower flyer toy ever produced.
This was the only tower toy in which the zeppelin or aeroplane do not need to make ground contact to operate. Both are air suspended and remain that way even when not in use. The zeppelin and plane weigh approximately the same. It uses the longest support beam of any tower toy and was also the tallest measuring 17½".
The box is just as incredible as they toy. The front cover has an awesome red, white, and blue full panel, bird's-eye view illustration. it shows the biplane and zeppelin flying around the central beacon and tower. The back of the box was printed with a large schematic, plus directions for using the toy.
To my knowledge there is no correct description, illustration, or photograph of this toy printed in any toy reference. I've found a black and white drawing in a Marx toy sales catalog. Notice that the markings on the hanger roof shown in the catalog are different from the actual toy, although they are identical when compared to the box.
In Greenberg's Guide to Marx Toys, Vol. II, the author M. Pinsky indicated the toys was produced in 1929 and sold for $1. Despite using the same references, I could find no data to substantiate this. It was produced at the same time as the Dare Devil Flyer, 1928, and most likely sold for the same price of 98¢.
Size: Toy see above. Box 13" x 6½" x 5".
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