Reaching for the Skies - Beech Starship

[RogueCannon]

It was an aircraft ahead of its time and it failed because of that.

But with that said, a lot of the lessons learned from it have led directly into everything from the F-22 to the Airbus A-380.

[Kneedragon1962]

@RogueCannon It failed because it was a game changer, and too many people had too much invested in the game, and didn't want it changed. The Starship and the people who built her were the sacrifice when one company took over another, and the new broom had to sweep clean - so it had to fail. So they made sure it failed. The take over company cut a beautiful creature apart with a rusty teaspoon, and to this day tell everyone it was a mercy killing. Lies.

[Kneedragon1962]

@Kneedragon1962 Damn lies. The story of the Starship could be a Shakespearean tragedy. I can not think of another product or machine that has been as badly betrayed by the people who owned the rights to it as the Starship, in the history of manufacture.

[tonebone8]

like something out of a fuyckin starwars movie, I say the Piaggio Avanti P180 is way sleeker and much better ...props to this one! (no pun intented)

[lateapex31]

Thanks for the info. Seeing this video as a kid got me into engineering!

[howdyhand]

Just watched a episode  of "Boneyard" with the Starship's at Evergreen field on Marana, Ariz. The ship was great, to bad it was ahead of it's time...

[gliderpilot79]

Thank's for the info Robert. Great to have you post the first comment!

[rpscherer]

Great clip! It depicts the 85% scale prototype built by Scaled Composites in Mojave, CA during the 1980's.  She was called the SCAT1 POC Starship prototype. Raytheon destroyed this airplane in front of the Scaled factory some years later, horrifying the employees that built her. The pilot in this clip is either Mike Melvill or Dick Rutan.

~Robert Scherer, Starship NC-51

[ATLRCFlyer]

@rpscherer That is horrible... Hope you'll be able to keep yours flying for many years to come, Robert...

[iNatevlogs]

@rpscherer Wow NC-51 commenting on a video! I've seen you in many and heard of you too. Whatever you do man keep this beauty in the air, it doesn't deserve retirement!