Back in the late 90s a strange shape could be often seen and certainly heard when it would do a very low circle and finals over Yateley.
Not a well known plane but certainly different with a very distinctive noise, i knew then it was a rare Beech Starship but does anyone have any info on who it belonged too, registration and how often it visited this part of the UK?.
By: wieesso - 31st December 2012 at 08:00
You have now, http://www.aircraft24.com/en/multiprop/piper/aerostar-pa-60-700p-unbelievable-investment-a-steal–xi108262.htm 😉
…and this one http://www.airventure.de/newspics/imas04/imas04_piper_pa60_aerostar.jpg
By: Flying-A - 31st December 2012 at 06:48
I was driving near BWI Airport one day in 1999 when I heard a strange sound overhead, looked up, and saw a Starship landing.
As for the sound, it was like a faster version of this:
By: Sundog - 31st December 2012 at 05:38
Turbine Aerostars, though one is a highly modified one off conversion.;)
By: J Boyle - 31st December 2012 at 01:56
You have now..
Still no turbine though…
By: pagen01 - 30th December 2012 at 22:36
…aand I’ve never seen one with 4-bladed props.
You have now, http://www.aircraft24.com/en/multiprop/piper/aerostar-pa-60-700p-unbelievable-investment-a-steal–xi108262.htm 😉
By: J Boyle - 30th December 2012 at 19:00
Small points…The Aerostar was not a turboprop…aand I’ve never seen one with 4-bladed props.
And a firm in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho rebuilds Aerostars to better than new condition. I belive they own the ATC for the design.
http://www.aerostaraircraft.com/articles.html
By: pagen01 - 30th December 2012 at 13:31
Good suggestion, and very similar layout, maybe it was a development of it I saw.
It was very distinctive with the large four bladed props, and have an idea that it was maybe limited production or a one off.
By: BlueRobin - 30th December 2012 at 13:22
Aerostar?
By: pagen01 - 30th December 2012 at 13:13
I remember seeing a Starship at the terminal at St Mawgan in the late ’80s, possibly N1508S above – will dig out my slides.
We had another unusual American civy turn up, mid-wing twin turboprop with what seemed like very large propellers, I still haven’t determined what it was!
By: wieesso - 30th December 2012 at 10:04
The 7 at Pinal air park were not recycled, and were moved in 2006 to Marana airport in Tucson where they remain awaiting buyers.
Mike Pannell
…only six to find on this GE screenshot…
By: BlueRobin - 30th December 2012 at 09:41
Definitely remember seeing a Starship overhead ion a few occasions n the 90s perhaps visiting Coventry. PID using my Janes guide.
By: mikeeepannell - 30th December 2012 at 01:23
beech starships
The 7 at Pinal air park were not recycled, and were moved in 2006 to Marana airport in Tucson where they remain awaiting buyers.
Mike Pannell
By: TonyT - 30th December 2012 at 00:14
Sorry to hear Tom Walkinshaw had passed away, he was ever such a nice chap, he used to fly into Brize quite often and one of our guys who was racing mad rushed out to get autographs and Tom told the driver (who had crashed) that he should sign it James Hunt.
By: The"Eh"Team - 30th December 2012 at 00:08
Just the one.. 
By: --o-o-O-o-o-- - 29th December 2012 at 23:34
Am i way off track or havent i seen one of these at Staverton in recent years?
No. There was a Rutan Defiant until a few months ago, but that left by road. Tom Walkinshaw operated the Piaggio Avanti and a 125 while he was involved with Gloucester Rugby Club; I don’t recall a Starship.
By: ZRX61 - 29th December 2012 at 22:28
If nothing else, Beech (and the GA industry as a whole) learned a lot about composites with the Starship…and the Premier uses “second (third…fourth? 🙂 ) generation” technology to make it lighhter.
That small issue of corrosion because CF & Aluminum don’t like each other was overlooked by more than just Beech….
By: J Boyle - 29th December 2012 at 22:19
Happily, several have found new homes in museums.
Raytheon lost a bunch of money on that project.
With its restructuring, Beech plans to make a new SE turboprop single. Flying magaizine reports it will use the fuselage of the Premier jet as a basis.
If nothing else, Beech (and the GA industry as a whole) learned a lot about composites with the Starship…and the Premier uses “second (third…fourth? 🙂 ) generation” technology to make it lighhter.
The Starship did not by itself, cause Raytheon to sell the firm.
The reason why Beech went bankrupt was Raytheion sold it to an investment group for very good money just before the 2008 financial crash. With a downturn in bizjet sales, (not helped by Obama bad-mouthing private jets every chance he could) the new owners could not pay-off their debt load. The Starship was long dead by then.
By: RMR - 29th December 2012 at 18:42
Here are seven of them at Pinal Air park Az. in 2006 awaiting recycling.
RMR
By: Peter D Evans - 29th December 2012 at 18:11
N1508S was on static display at Farnborough in September 1990 and this example was also registered during its life as:
N10TQ De-registered Cancel: 2010-04-06
OY-GEA De-registered
N194DB De-registered
N10TX De-registered
Pete
By: J Boyle - 29th December 2012 at 17:49
Ozplane -that’s not strictly true! Beechcraft tried to buy them all back but didn’t manage it! I believe Mr Rutan still has one and there might be another owner who declined the buy back .
A friend is a friend of Mr. Rutan…he does not have a Starship.
However, there is a business man in South Central Washington State (Richland, Kennewick or Pasco)who has one that he uses for business. IIRC, he’s the head of a loose knit owner group that work together on spares issues.
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December 29, 2012 at 3:18 pm