After a prolonged development period beginning in 1979, the first Starship entered service in 1989. Only 50 airframes were delivered to customers, and six remain airworthy today. Despite being a notable failure, Starship was one of the most groundbreaking designs ever to see production. It was the first certified canard wing aircraft, the first business aircraft with an all-composite structure, the first certified twin pusher turboprop, the first general aviation aircraft with an all-glass cockpit, and it remains one of only three civilian turboprops with a service ceiling of 41,000 feet. More so than most rare or aging aircraft, Starship is a flying monument to innovation, ambition and the price paid for being too far ahead of one’s time.