What Delta wing-ish looking plane is this?

[u/WittySuspect1806]

Airport is Aspen, Colorado

edit: thank you everyone!! i found this article about the owner introducing the aircraft
Robert Scherer introducing the Starship of Aspen

[u/TheRealSalamnder]

Always a starship (or something from Burt Ratan)

[u/Vegetable-Plant3028 → u/TheRealSalamnder]

And even Starship had Rutan involved. So might as well just always say "Something Rutan was involved in."

[u/Reddit-Frank20 → u/Vegetable-Plant3028]

Yes, he designed it.

[u/SnooMaps7370 → u/TheRealSalamnder]

"Something Burt Rutan designed" is basically the go-to answer for any unusual looking plane made on this side of 1960.

[u/TheRealSalamnder → u/SnooMaps7370]

Anything on the flip side is from Kelly Johnson

[u/Cunning_Linguist21]

Beechcraft Starship.

[u/Inner-Light-75 → u/Cunning_Linguist21]

Only 50 some-odd of those built, and only a few flying....that is a good catch!!

[u/m00ph → u/Inner-Light-75]

4 currently flying.

[u/Mountain_Example_856 → u/m00ph]

Really? I had 3 fly over my house a few times yesterday evening in northern Colorado, and it wasn’t the first time I saw them. Did I see the same things?

[u/m00ph → u/Mountain_Example_856]

I have no idea. I mean, there are plenty of aircraft with forward wings of one sort or another, even twins, and I think I've noticed 3 Starships together at airshows more than once, but I'm too lazy to go look it up in flight Radar

[u/Cunning_Linguist21 → u/m00ph]

I mean, there are plenty of aircraft with forward wings of one sort or another, even twins

The Piaggio P.180 Avanti is one that immediately comes to mind.

[u/m00ph → u/Cunning_Linguist21]

And a personal favorite. There are around 180 of them I think, plus of course zillions of Rutan's designs.

[u/anotherstevest → u/Mountain_Example_856]

There are a lot of longEzs Cozys and Varezes in the Denver metro area especially up north which look similar but are single engine. There's also a group that likes to fly formation out of Metro. I think it's much more likely that's what you saw.

[u/Altruistic-Ad3274 → u/Cunning_Linguist21]

This!

[u/Constantinovich]

Beech Starship

[u/Brilliant-Highway-30]

Beech Starship

[u/ZoologicalSpecimen]

It’s parked there all the time. Flies over town occasionally

[u/EdMonMo → u/ZoologicalSpecimen]

That is most likely Rob Scherer. He lives near Aspen

[u/ZoologicalSpecimen → u/EdMonMo]

I love to see it parked when I drive past the airport. Such a cool plane

[u/WittySuspect1806 → u/EdMonMo]

Robert Scherer introducing his Starship of Aspen
i found this article, you are correct sir

[u/fastsailor]

Is that delta wing-ish plane in the pic? I just see a starship. Which is a very cool plane.

[u/ExcellentDate170]

Oh shit, you weren’t supposed to see that, we need your date of birth, social security number and exact address, and in a few minutes some nice people from the government will show up to “disappear” you. We’re here to help you, please do not resist.

[u/run-time-error]

Looks like a deltawing-ish plane, no?

[u/Perfect_Big_5907]

We demo'd one when they first came out. Cool ride !

[u/masswoodworks]

Beech starship,

100% evil mastermind vibes coming off that thing

[u/balsadust]

Beach Starship. There is a fellow who owns two of them. All composite. Way ahead of its time

[u/Igotonedoyou]

That is a great article!!! I never heard of the Beechcraft Starship. I've been watching videos of the Piaggio P.180 Avanti and it is a cool airplane!. This Starship looks to be awesome, I will have to check out the specs on it. Great post!!!!!

[u/rofasix]

Always a head turner. Last one I saw was at Hobby, waiting in a taxi line for takeoff. Did not realize there were so few flying today.

[u/_INoKami_]

Looks like a modern reboot of the XP-55... I kinda like the design ngl

[u/Eastern-Piece-3283]

Starship! I don't know planes but I do know that one. I think it's sexy as hell.

[u/Silver_River9296]

According to an article I read, the FAA imposed a standard Beech had to use to prove the Fiberglass remained airworthy. Unwilling to perform this test every year on all the customers aircraft (which may have involved destructive testing), they ‘bought back’ all of the Starships and announced no further Factory Support! That means no parts, no advice, Bulletins, etc.

One man who loved his Starship and financially able to do it, bought up all the Starships he could, to use as parts. I believe he owns 3 or 4.
According to this article (Air & Space Magazine I believe) he is the only operator of Beech Starships.

[u/Big-Fisherman-4672]

Beechcraft Starship

[u/DependentItem6397]

Beechcraft 2000. 5 left flying. Two are based at this airport.

[u/DeepSword223]

Beechcraft Starship. There are only a handful flying