Beechcraft Starship in google maps?
 

I was browsing around Google Maps and stumbled upon what looks like a Beechcraft Starship at KTHA, Tullahoma, TN. What does everyone think it is? I know there's still a few in the wild. I remember seeing Starships at Owensboro, KY and Salina, KS in the past few years. Oh, and does anyone know the type code ATC uses for the Starship?

Slow night, eh? I would say it definately looks like a Starship. No clue on the code.

Cheers.

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There is one that is based in and I've seen actually fly out of ASE on a regular basis. It needs a new paint job though. The stripes it has are definitely not befitting a plane like the Starship.

How old was the satellite photo? I'm pretty sure that beech re-acquired all of them and took them all out of service several years ago, except for one owned by scaled composites (Rutan designed the thing).

Sure it wasn't a Piaggio?

From Wikipedia:

As of autumn 2008 only six Starships continue to hold airworthiness registration with the FAA. Three Starships are based in Oklahoma, one in Washington, one in California, and one is still registered to Raytheon Aircraft Credit Corporation in Wichita, Kansas.

Beech viewed the airplane as a liability as well as a financial loss to continue to support, so in 2003, they recalled all the leased airplanes and destroyed them at Evergreen's center in Arizona (by burning). Saw a news article on TV once about an eccentric individual who loved the things and owned 4, I think. He owned them and wouldn't give them back, no matter what the price.

Unfortunately, Beech built a composite airplane using aluminum techniques. It ended up too heavy and too expensive (time-consuming) to build. They only built 53 airframes. It was slower than comparably-powered twin turboprops, even though it looked like it was going fast.

Rutan used one to chase Starship-1 during it's re-entry.

Three have been certified for RVSM as of Mar 2008.

It wasn't a satellite photo. I didn't see it up there this weekend, but it's very often sitting on the ramp in ASE. It's definitely a Starship, Avantair is in and out of there very often.

Gorgeous airplane, just not the greatest of paint jobs.

Checko

Saw one in Colorado this past Fall.

The one at KTHA is part of the Beechcraft Heritage Museum

shoot....you beat me to it. If you truly enjoy aviation and meeting other people who love aviation...this museum is gem. If I was king of the world I would have put it in Wichita at or near Beech Field, but Tennessee is where Walter Beech was originally from.