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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
OT: Beechcraft Starship pics
- Thread starter ryanbatc
- Start date
LonelyplanetXO
Charter Member
great pics. But I thought they were all gone, except Bert Rutan's one?
LPXO
LPXO
Always has.
skyhawka4m
Charter Member
At CYYR?
starship
I remember way back when Raytheon came out with this, the reps were flying all over trying to drum up buyers. They landed in KPDX and a friend of mine who worked the line at Flightcraft called me and said buddy you gotta' see this. Couldn't hardly wait to get off work. I still remember climbing the stairs and looking in the cockpit, OMG, what technology, so state of the art. To bad that the cost doomed the plane, that and the performance never matched the promises
I remember way back when Raytheon came out with this, the reps were flying all over trying to drum up buyers. They landed in KPDX and a friend of mine who worked the line at Flightcraft called me and said buddy you gotta' see this. Couldn't hardly wait to get off work. I still remember climbing the stairs and looking in the cockpit, OMG, what technology, so state of the art. To bad that the cost doomed the plane, that and the performance never matched the promises
fsafranek
SOH-CM-2024
Yep, Bob Schere's site is a great resource. I'd say the best on the subject.
Used to see one fly into San Diego years ago but don't get down by the airport much anymore to notice. A very distinctive shape. Can't miss it.
Read the book The Starship Diaries a couple years ago about a guy who flew one around the world. Might make for an interesting goal in FS?
:ernae:
strikehawk
Charter Member
I remember the tech demonstrator coming into Meadows Field and stopping at the Beechcraft facility I was working at back then. I was the one lucky enough to go out and signal it to spot 3 on the ramp all the time trying not to be run through by the instrumentation boom. The pilots of that bird were friendly and let us look all around the thing. I and another line rat were interviewed by the flight crew about our feelings woking around a plane like that, I remember telling them that I thought it was safer to work around because of the engine and props locations as well as being lower to the ground so fueling was safer than climbing a ladder. Beech made a huge mistake first cancelling this bird and then doing everything the can to erase all traces of it. Thought it was the coolest thing I had seen up to that point, I wish I could have got a ride in one.
The Starship was an interesting design, too bad Raytheon did not develop it further. Piaggio, on the other hand, has a similar design with their P180. It's a very efficient design with pusher props, but the P180 is loud and unmistakable when it passes overhead. I presume the Starship was also noisy.
Nice pics!
Nice pics!