ONLINE ENCORE - Militaria Auction
Lot 2339:
Description
This is a rare and specialized piece of aviation history: a main landing gear shock strut piston assembly for the Beechcraft Starship, a revolutionary all-composite business class aircraft designed by Burt Rutan. As a seasoned collector of aerospace memorabilia knows, parts for the Starship are exceptionally scarce. Only 53 of these aircraft were ever produced between 1988 and 1995. In 2003, Raytheon (Beechcraft) famously decommissioned the fleet, scrapping and incinerating nearly every airframe under their control to end support liabilities. Today, only 4 to 6 airworthy examples remain in the world, making any surviving authentic hardware a “holy grail” for collectors. This heavy-duty component features a polished chrome piston tube transitioning into a durable steel casing, topped with a white-painted T-head trunnion. Discernible markings include the stamped “H928-1” on the housing and a detailed ink stamp reading “122-810061-602 70898” with a date of “06-21-2003,” placing its manufacture at the very end of the Starship’s official service life. The item is in good used condition, showing expected mechanical wear, some minor paint chipping on the white housing, and light surface scuffing on the metal components, but it appears structurally sound. Provenance & Fleet History Analysis: The date stamp of June 21, 2003, is a critical piece of evidence regarding this item’s history. By early 2003, Raytheon had already begun the process of grounding the Starship fleet and offering owners a trade-in program for the Hawker 800 or Premier I. The Decommissioning Timeline: Most Starships were flown to Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona, in late 2003 to be destroyed. Because this part was manufactured/serviced just months before the final fleet grounding, it likely served as a high-value spare or was part of the final maintenance cycles for the remaining airworthy airframes. Surviving Airframes: This part is compatible with the remaining private fleet, including notable airframes like NC-33, NC-50, and NC-51. Collector Significance: Parts with 2003 timestamps are among the “youngest” Starship components in existence, as production of new parts effectively ceased once the decommissioning plan was finalized. Dimensions: H 33.25″, W 17.5″, D 5″. Please see photos.
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