A Quarter Century Later, Starships Still Fly | Aviation International News

A Quarter Century Later, Starships Still Fly

Long after the manufacturer washed its hands of the Starship, a small cult of owners keeps the radical twin pusher flying.

Rarer even than the sight of a single Starship on a ramp these days is seeing a double. NC-50 and NC-51 sat side-by-side at Denver’s Centennial Airport last year when owners Robert Scherer and Raj Narayanan’s paths crossed coincidentally in the Mile-High City.

By Curt Epstein • Business Aviation Services Editor

October 2, 2014

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the entry into service for one of business aviation’s most enigmatic aircraft, the star-crossed Beech Starship, which was intended as a replacement for the King Air. As the first aircraft with an all-composite fuselage, the twin-turboprop pusher with radical canard forward design underwent a lengthy development and certification process before finally entering service.

However, despite the airplane’s futuristic name, design and advanced engineering, the program was a bust for a variety of reasons: a debut coinciding with an economic downturn, a high purchase price on a par with that of entry-level jets and a top speed dragged below advertised specs by weight increases. Of the 53 Starships built before production ceased, only 11 were purchased by private owners; the remainder were offered on lease by then-parent company Raytheon Aircraft.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.