Fix for known issues in Mario Noriega's P180!

[TigerPackLeader]

Here's a heads up for release at Flightsim.com of a fix for a number of issues affecting Mario Noriega's beautifully crafted Piaggio P-180 Avanti, including exorcism of the notoriously homely passenger. Speaking for myself, I love this airplane, but recently flew it to Poland and back, all the while fighting the urge to look behind me. Fortunately, Kirby remains. I find him fun to poke on long flights, and he really gets the attention of my Dogs.

The file name is mn_p180_v31upd_fs9.zip (http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?do=copyright&fid=170776) and it was posted by the author himself. If you are a fan, I strongly recommend grabbing it.

That is all.

[Fleet Canuck]

I downloaded the fix and am glad to be flying without the passenger. The plane is impressive, both in the FS9 version and the real world version. It seems to have succeeded where the Beech Starship failed. From hearing it fly overhead a few times, I can also say it has a sound all its own.

[stansdds]

I've heard one fly over me too, very distinctive sound. There is also a FSX version with a v3.1 upgrade. Very nice.

[SSI01]

There is one that makes periodic calls here at KSSI. I've seen it take off and land. The landing is impressive, a very flat approach at high speed (for around here). No steep climbout on takeoff, either. The best way to describe this thing in profile view is a guppy with an abnormally large tail fin. That being said, it's a most impressive performer.

I heard Beech (or Beech buyer) reps were actually traveling around the country buying up the Starships and having them destroyed. True?

[Motormouse]

I heard Beech (or Beech buyer) reps were actually traveling around the country buying up the Starships and having them destroyed. True?



That's correct, after Beechcraft withdrew the type certificate, effectively grounding the type everywhere.
IIRC there was one chap in USA was trying to keep his by having it redesignated as an 'experimental'
type, but even Beechcraft refused to cooperate.

Think the case went to court, and Beechcraft backed by FAA won.

Ttfn

Pete

[SSI01]

Mystifying. I heard the aircraft was another superior performer. I'll bet it was considered exotic technology, though, and consequently only a few were made - meaning Beech had to maintain expensive support for a very short production run of a limited model.

[Motormouse]

Mystifying. I heard the aircraft was another superior performer. I'll bet it was considered exotic technology, though, and consequently only a few were made - meaning Beech had to maintain expensive support for a very short production run of a limited model.

According to wiki, 53 were made, but only 11 sold, when Beechcraft pulled the plug.
However the plot thickens here, as the scrapper, sold 24 of those sent for scrap back to other
owners! As of 2008, 5 remained airworthy, so I may have been wrong before.

IIRC, Burt Rutan was involved in design and has one as a personal aeroplane, that's not officially a Beechcraft
Starship, it just looks like one.

Ttfn

Pete

[Fleet Canuck]

I've noticed people have an emotional attachment to the Starship, but it did not offer a sufficient increase in performance to justify the premium in price. Since it was a corporate aircraft, the buyers are more influenced by accounting than by emotion, and the result was that the Beech King Air series killed the Starship. Proven performance at a lower price, ease of maintenance, a known entity. You could say the Starship was technology for technology's sake.

In contrast, the Piaggio offers business jet performance with turboprop operating costs.

[stansdds]

I think Fleet Canuck has stated it well. The Beech Starship and the P180 are similar concepts, the P180 was, by far, the better performer and Beech elected to stay with their tried and true King Air line.

[wombat666]

I may well be wrong (I usually am!) but IIRC I believe the Starship fall foul of the notorious 'Made in Ireland' problem, much like the De Lorean, although there was some very sneaky financial moves involved with the car.
:icon_eek:

[srgalahad]

What I find the most amazing is how a thread about an update to a FlightSim model of a successful Italian aircraft could be turned into a discussion of the real-world history of a failed American one.

The most recent (October 2012) discussion of the Starship is here: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?72776-OT-Beechcraft-Starship-pics&highlight=starship

[TigerPackLeader]

I downloaded the fix and am glad to be flying without the passenger. The plane is impressive, both in the FS9 version and the real world version.

Without any disrespect meant to Mr. Noriega, the passenger reminded me of what is called "folk art" in these here parts, involving carving figures out of tree trunks using chain saws. I used to pretend I was delivering such a thing, but I don't have to any longer.

I haven't personally experienced the real world version, but in FS9 it's become a ride of choice.

[Odie]

According to wiki, 53 were made, but only 11 sold, when Beechcraft pulled the plug.
However the plot thickens here, as the scrapper, sold 24 of those sent for scrap back to other
owners! As of 2008, 5 remained airworthy, so I may have been wrong before.

IIRC, Burt Rutan was involved in design and has one as a personal aeroplane, that's not officially a Beechcraft
Starship, it just looks like one.

Ttfn

Pete


Hey Pete, the History Channel did a 2-hour special on THE BONEYARD, and the last segment included the Starship and an interview with a private owner who had bought some of the other airframes and was storing
them for parts for his airworthy Starship. It's a pretty interesting special that covered several types of planes and facilities.