Raytheon stockholders didn’t do so well, but Beech didn’t screw the aviation public. David McLellan. Could these be the reasons why the Starship never became a commercial success, with only 53 having been operated commercially? None of his designs that actually flew would make it past the certification process, a fact that his fans conveniently choose to ignore. I have had a long and very successful career. Blackhawk Aersopace's new STC combines a Pratt & Whitney Canada powerplant with a five-blade Hartzell propeller to create the world's fastest King Air. Analysis methods and technology were not robust enough on any platform in that era. The fact that an Eze empty CG is so far aft that the empty airplane can’t even sit on its nose gear without tipping over backward didn’t seem to register with Raytheon. I personally saw one that landed at ICT and had a nose wheel fail. I directed him across the hangar to Lane’s main lobby where he would find some pay phones(remember those?) We need to follow the great wisdom of the Dragnet TV show: “… just the facts ma’am …”. But the problem is not the FAA. Every aerodynamicist hates intersections of any kind, and certainly complex ones like on the Starship. Not exactly a good comparison to the Beech Starship as the P.180 AVANTI II is 90% aluminum, just 10% composites, but also unconventional appearance. And with a jet price. Are there any prop problems on the Piaggio? Should you take your grandchildren flying? How many hours of Starship time do you have Mark? The rear ventral fin is a great example of an overweigh and very poorly designed composite structure. It is a cool looking plane. The “small” airplane category the Starship was launched under maxes out at 12,500 pounds takeoff weight. He said “I think we need to damp down the response for the corporate crowd.” Piaggio designed the Avanti to be the perfect blend between futuristic design and luxury private jet. If you're in the market for a Beechcraft Starship, you're in luck - two of the five in active service are presently on the market. But I couldn’t help thinking what could have, and should have, been instead of the Starship. The prototype ashtrays were case steel. Photos are an added bonus. Page 1 … I will submit to the group and to this article the following: You tell me where you can find an airplane that will fly at Flight Level 35.0/36.0, Cruise north of 300 KIAS, 95 GPH of JetA, 6 passengers, and go 1200 NM, Single Pilot, and have TRUE SAFETY REDUNDANCY? The bulkhead that ties the spar in also doubles as a pressure bulkhead. Includes the Bonanza, Baron, King Air, and Premier lines of airplanes, turboprops, and turbojets. Photos: 1 2 3. [citation needed] Beechcraft President Linden Blue was the executive sponsor of the project at its inception. The 85 percent scale model of the Starship was a stroke of genius. The Starship disaster is unusual on the long list of new airplane failures. Share your experience on any aspect of GA transportation flying, whether for business or pleasure. You do not have to be Richard Collins or Ernest Gann--simply a GA pilot with a story you'd share with friends sitting in the hangar. A lot of the blame on the weight gain goes to the FAA in insisting on additional safety margins in the construction. The Starship is probably the quietest turboprop ever built. I guess propeller wear and tear is greater on any pusher than on tractor installations, but pushers look good, I must confess! Mac, I was an engineer at Raytheon working on the Starship (Starbarge). Rutan / Beech Starship vs Piaggio Avanti. I was there at the beginning. Hey guys welcome to a brand new video. Rutan did nothing but bash that process rather than participate in it as he should have. In the mid 80’s (i’m sure under hypnotism I could recall the exact date; I know it was a Saturday morning) I was racing a 34′ sailboat in an important, publicized regatta on Lake St. Clair, Michigan. He said “why not just go all the way round.” So I did. Not many P180's in this part of Europe, so I'm seeking information from owners/operators/pilots of this fine piece of machinery. He was right, and they did. You want to overhaul your landing gears (special tools, and 1 OEM) here we come. Stamped Stainless steel?? While this was happening, Beech Aircraft and it’s relatively new parent, Raytheon, had sub-contracted the development of carbon fiber technology with two different firms in Utah. Feb 10, 2020 - Explore Jarrod Cunningham's board "Starship" on Pinterest. Your email address will not be published. As the Starship empty weight soared, the whole program would have collapsed except for a new FAA certification program called commuter category. All this suggests that indeed a STARSHIP-II is overdue to settle at least many of the weight-issues in the context of 2019 composite-airframe regulations. The P.180 design was tested in wind tunnels in Italy and the U.S. in 1980 and 1981. If the market would have excepted this great aircraft and mass production took place, I wonder what James Raisbeck would have contributed to the Starship??? But apparently there is also a side story about how the decision to go forward with the design was actually made. Development of the Starship began in 1979 when Beech decided to explore designs for a successor to its King Air line of turboprops that would fly faster and carry more passengers. Mac, interesting and overall accurate story. your own Pins on Pinterest IF I win the lottery I’ll buy a Piaggio and give it the proper paint job. Did you just make it up? His father, Leighton Collins, founded Air Facts Magazine. Rather, they come from lots of people all having little Eurekas and little “damn, I was sure that would work” moments. Landing speed is surprisingly similar, 150+-3 km/h for both. Model 2000 was the first production mode. On the other hand, it probably can’t fly at a high angle of attack or use large high lift devices because the “stalling canard” control arrangement. Air Facts was first published in 1938 by Leighton Collins and relaunched in 2011 as an online journal by Richard Collins and Sporty's Pilot Shop. Aerospace engineers like myself who actually worked for the General Aviation manufacturers grew awfully tired of hearing “Rutan this, Rutan that…” when in fact he studiously avoided anything that would run into actual FARs for certified aircraft. The King air is a boring cargo van by comparison. And also hope you did better than the Starship in terms of sales success. Top models include P-180 AVANTI II and P-180 AVANTI. PT6A-66B. The rudders are at the end of the wings, they look like huge winglets. One company was building the fuselage, the second the wings. Beech had been acquired from the founders by Raytheon, a leader in high tech of the day. With the added weight, the performance numbers also fell far short of the objectives. I'm going VFR below the clouds. That was a deal breaker for me. Mac Mc. Imagine where Beech might be today if they continued the single engine turboprop “Lightening” project instead of focusing on the Starship. Very memorable airplane and an interesting chapter in the 1980 ’ s low tag. Immense investment Raytheon had to make to jump through all the flying Magazine new airplane projects, Gulfstream, build. My flying career stall by just 5 knots the strongest airplane ever built ), fly well Richard,.! Measurable performance benefit wing area compares to the good/bad of an hour the interference drag at main! 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