When Beechcraft introduced the Starship in the 1980s, the company was searching for a way to refresh its aging turboprop line in a market that had endured years of declining demand. General aviation manufacturers were cautious, and new designs were scarce.

Against this backdrop, Beech pursued one of the most technologically advanced aircraft of the time targeted at business aviation. With help from Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites, the Starship emerged as a clean-sheet design that stood apart from anything on the ramp, and it carried the promise of modern materials, lower cabin noise and greater efficiency.

That promise, however, arrived during a difficult sales climate and at the cost of a lengthy certification process.

A New Direction in Materials and Design

The Starship’s airframe was

See Full Page