Beech 2000A Starship  N8224Q                                 (c/n  NC-49)

                                       

                                           One thing I discovered about American "businessmen" (CEO's, CFOs Coos etc.) after working
                                           with them for forty years is that they like to appear very macho and bravado and as great risk takers,
                                           but when it comes to their transportation they are, in actual fact, a very conservative bunch*.   When,
                                           therefore, Beech introduced the radical Bert Rutan inspired Starship in 1992 it went over like the
                                           proverbial lead balloon.    The unconventional Starship design incorporated many innovative design
                                           features including the extensive use of composite (plastic?) materials and a rear mounted laminar flow
                                           wing with variable geometry canards or foreplanes.  The tip mounted tailplanes and rear mounted
                                           pusher engines completing the package were too just much for the executives to take and hence
                                           production was terminated after a mere 53 units had been completed.  The loss absorbed by Beech
                                           in the program appears to be a well guarded secret.   The active aircraft were purchased back by
                                           Beech (so that they didn't have to maintain them) and stored in the Arizona desert.   Seen below is
                                           one of the three prototype model 2000s.   Both images at the Executive Terminal on the west side
                                           of Van Nuys Airport.

                                          *   I once worked with a bloke (CEO with a Harvard MBA he was, too) who absolutely refused to
                                           be booked on a PSA flight if it turned out to be a BAe 146.  Couldn't possibly fly on one of those "Brit
                                           airliners 'cos they crash all the time".  This, after the crash of PSA's N350PS (c/n E2027) at Paso Robles,
                                           California on 7 December 1987, after a disgruntled former USAir employee got on board, killed his former
                                           supervisor who was also aboard the craft, and then went on to kill both pilots resulting in the loss of 38
                                           passengers and 5 crewmembers.  My remonstratrions to my boss that the crash had nothing to do with
                                           the safety of the aircraft went on deaf ears!!!!!!!      Brilliant.    Anyway, here's another Starship:

                                              Beech 2000 Starship  N8300S                                  (c/n  3)