Wednesday, July 29, 2009

PUSH ME, PULL ME- PART 2

While having dinner last night, I saw this strange looking plane pass my line of sight on approach to the airport. It was similar to the Piaggio aircraft I showed you several days ago. It has rear facing propellors and it's rudder is underneath the fuselage. It is called The Starship. So far, I can see you nodding off. It was the first aircraft to employ all-graphite composite in the airframe. It employed many other "firsts" but are way to technical for this blogger. Commercially, the plane was a failure;only 53 were ever built. They were too expensive and introduced during a down cycle in the economy. As of last fall, only 6 were still in service. I'm not an aviation junkie, but I think it is kind of neat to see something that is the last of it's kind when just a few years ago it was so ahead of it's time. Look up, you may see one of the last ones yourself. They are pretty hard to miss.

21 comments:

  1. wow now I misunderstood everything...So sorry dear friend...Anyway I know for sure you are my B friend not Karen! please, I beg you don't publish that one!!!!!!!
    God bless you
    Léia

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  2. Great! Never saw one of this, do you know anything more about this plane?

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  3. I would have had to get a picture of it. I wonder if their value is going up?

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  4. I maxed the photo to get a better look; interesting looking fuselage and wings. Glad you spotted and photographed it.

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  5. Being a former NYer, if a plane is close enough to be seen, we run in the opposite direction or throw ourselves on the ground immediately. :-)

    But cool plane indeed.

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  6. Please come over to my blog today. I've got something for you! Your photos and stories always bring a smile to my face!

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  7. I've been walking around all morning, looking up toward the sky. I saw a blue jay who pooped in my eye; I saw rain clouds and then it started pouring, which was good 'cause it washed out my eye, I think I saw Elvis, and I walked smack dab into a tree, but I didn't see that plane. Are you sure I can see it if I look up?

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  8. Tell Jacob not to be so literal cuz then those things won't happen. LOL

    I did see one of these before and they are just too cool looking. Isn't it awful when something is ahead of it's time and then someone else comes up with a similar idea and cashes in on it. the story of my life me thinks.
    Anyway it is one interesting looking plane. MB

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  9. That is a very interesting looking plane. Being a nervous flyer though, I would not want to take a ride in it!

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  10. A most unusual design for sure but someone certainly loves it. (The designers had fun.)I wonder what pilots have to say about it. It must take some additional training on their part. If that's the owner's Mercedes on the left then we know there is something pretty classy about the plane.

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  11. What happened to the others that were built arent around anymore

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  12. This is the kind of post that would fascinate my husband. I'll try to show him later.

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  13. Ah, the Concorde's of this world. Many brave inventions will fade out of sight as circumstances change.

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  14. I found the Piaggio really cool, but this one is also great!

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  15. Nice car! (Forgive my impertinence of late!)

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  16. You know a lot about this stuff for not being an aviation junkie, though. (; Thanks for the good information.

    Buenos Aires Photo

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  17. Ha! I think you confused us on purpose. (Now whatever possessed me to write THAT?)

    I agree that it's as much fun to see the last of something as to see the first. (You did suggest that, didn't you?) ;-)

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  18. I also like the car, you can keep the backwards plane.

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  19. The story sounds a little like the Concorde (only 20 built) saga. Perhaps Branson will put in a bid to buy these up!

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