Fwd: Re: [TailwindForum] Re: Historic Aviation in-flight Video

As a Tailwind owner/restorer I find this forum incredibly useful and

impressive considering the wealth of knowledge and experience represented by

its participants. Other times, as with most public venues, I am equally

impressed by the misinformation, half truths and conjecture bandied about as

fact.

 

The Beechcraft Starship, associated with Space Ship One flights is not owned

by Scaled Composites but rather by an individual, Robert Scherer

rps3.com/Pages/Starship.htm who makes himself and his aircraft

available to Scaled and is a frequent visitor to Mojave. According to

Scherer, there remain five airworthy examples of the Starship in the

possession of private operator's. He has amassed a spares inventory to

support his Starship for his lifetime and beyond. Hardly the mark of a

dissatisfied owner. Other owners were incentivized to surrender their

aircraft by replacement with more "conventional" types from the Beech line.

The motivation for this action by Beech is a complicated, multifaceted story

which, in the end, only makes for mildly interesting hangar conversation

dependant mostly on emotion, speculation, and what we choose to believe.

Cost, performance, sustained liability, new technology management and

development, and differences in executive management regimes at Beech, among

other things, played a part in the aircraft's ultimate fate.

 

Anyone who relates the Wright Flyer to modern canard aircraft performance

and flying qualities is simply exhibiting his or her lack of aeronautical

acumen as they are anything but one and the same. 20th Century Wright Flyer?

Hardly.

 

I find wonder in both conventional and unconventional aircraft and accept

them on the merit of their performance within a niche - Tailwinds and canard

types alike, as all are a compromise. I might also note for your

consideration that there are more similarities than differences between

Wittman and Rutan than one might perceive at first glance. By the way, I am

not affiliated with Beechcraft, Scaled Composites, Rutan, Scherer or anyone

else mentioned in this thread.

 

Rick Poe

 

Mojave, CA

 

EAA 168012

 

Tailwind N6PJ

Done