I don't know about you but this really pisses me off to see:

http://www.starshipdiaries.com/images/Disassembly.jpg

http://www.starshipdiaries.com/Images/Pinal.jpg

They are Beechcraft Starships, a twin engine jet-prop corporate aircraft made in the 80s, which were way ahead of their time. For lack of a large enough fleet being made in the first place (only 50 or so were ever made), the Starships still in existence have been bought back by Beechcraft / Raytheon so they can be parted out to support the small market of current owners of flyable planes. Making new parts to keep the existing aircraft in flying condition is apparently not feasable to Beech / Raytheon.

This sucks. Those were sweet planes, even if they didn't really perform any better than a conventional airplane of comparable specification.

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/GENERAL_AVIATION/beech/GA9G5.jpg


http://users.bigpond.net.au/bjg/Pictures/Beechcraft_Starship2000.jpg

http://www.starshipdiaries.com/status.html

http://www.starshipdiaries.com/Images/16.jpg

Dont worry, Just have a look at the Beechcraft Premier 1. the direct decendant of the Starship....

a single pilot operated twin jet crusing at 45,000 ft, Mach0.8 and can land at regional small airstrips.

the starship was a technology demonstrator and test platform. the lessons learned are now being used everywhere! a business jet, all composite fusealage weighing just 270 Kg!!!

It's a cool looking jet

I dunno, the Starship wasn't about its composite construction, it was about how sexy it was.

Premier I looks like a Citation VII to me, nothing unique other than the technology under the skin (to me at least).

http://www.cmgestore.com/ray1/elements/d245.jpg