@ Marana, AZ
March 2018
Spotted this rare Starship in a small boneyard at the Marana Airport. First flown in 1986, only 53 of these futuristic aircraft would be produced. Development of the Starship began in 1979 when Beech decided to explore designs for a successor to its King Air line that would fly faster and carry more passengers. The Starship was noteworthy for its carbon fiber composite airframe, canard design, lack of central vertical tail, and pusher engine/propeller configuration. The last Starship, NC-53, was produced in 1995. In 2003 Beechcraft said that supporting such a small fleet of airplanes was cost-prohibitive and began scrapping and incinerating the aircraft under its control. As of late 2020, only six Starships remained airworthy. Nikon D500 w/18-200mm.