Sad Ship. ;_;

[tbutler]

The Beech Starship is one of the saddest examples of failed aviation potential that I can remember. The Starship was notable for two main things: an unconventional tail-less canard design, and one of the first major civilian uses of composite carbon fiber construction. By most accounts, it was a joy to fly; the canard design made it very stable and controllable. (A friend of mine had the chance to fly it on several occasions, and still raves about it at any opportunity.)

Sadly, the things that made it unique also brought it down. Probably the biggest problems were caused by the composite materials; because it was the first time in civilian use, the Starship's introduction was repeatedly delayed by additional testing to demonstrate that it would work. In the end, only 53 were built, and few of those are still flying. This example is at the Kansas Aviation Museum; while its elegant lines are still apparent, the elements have taken a serious toll. ;_;