“Some proof of concept” airplanes that never made it … Pictures/stories I made during my travels for a german flight magazine between 1995 and 2002.
The Kestrel was “developed” by some people in Oklahoma (obviously) as the “the new 172”. The prototype flew, but nobody knows how well. I had the feeling it was very heavy (when I pushed it across the hangar)
While driving through Kansas I found this project by accident! The “STAR CRAFT” sure looked good but had problems with the very long rear propeller shaft. No idea if it still exists …
The “Visionaire Vantage” was designed by Burt Rutan for a company in St. Lous, Missouri. There was never a second one built, but it flew for a while, and I think it looked good.
The Grob 140TP was a fantastic airplane, i loved it. Fully aerobatic turboprop with 4 seats, stick, 4 doors … but unpressurized. No big market for such a plane outside the military maybe.
I have that Grob 140 pic above my desk at work… isn’t that pilot now dead, after that Grob jet crash?
It was going to be €1.5M (I have an email saying that) so pricey but the guy told me it was built to take something like +/-10G, for mil training.
It looked good, too. And had nice avionics for real pilots 
I would have bought it. Zoom up to FL250 at maybe +3000fpm…
Great thread, BTW
Hi Peter,
I made those GROB pictures. Do you have it from the Grob calender? I know they published some there.
No, the pilot of the 140 was Ulrich schell, a very good Pitts/Aerobatic pilot who also worked for Grob. The testpilot who died was a French guy, Guill …. (forgot his name!)
No big market for such a plane outside the military maybe.
Military trainers seldom have a market outside the military, but becomes fantastic second hand aircraft after 30-40 years of service Doing aerobatics training in a SAAB Safir from 1952 at the moment
The Beechcraft Starship probably sold one or two, but also was essentially a proof of concept that never made it. Funny actually because P180 did.
The Starship was built 53 times and was the mst modern airplane of the era. The customers were too conservative for it though – and they rather bought King Airs. But the airplane was great, I think
Here’s another PoC. The replica of the first Wright Flyer. I made this picture at the Centennial of Flight Celebration in Kitty Hawk. Unfortunately the rain was heavy and the Flyer didn’t really take off …
What was this Mooney prototype i found at Mooney/Kerrville in 2000? I don’t think it ever saw the light of day. I only remember that they didn’t want me to make a picture first …, but I guess it’s ok now, after 15 years …
That is the only M20T Predator ever built. It was part of a competition in 1991 for an airplane to screen pilot candidates, but lost out to the Slingsby Firefly, which did not fare much better in the end. It is still owned by Mooney, not sure if it has been flown recently, but probably will end up in the Mooney Museum which is in the process of being founded.
The interesting feature it had was a canopy and an AEIO540 Engine. It was registered in the experimental cathegory. Some of the features developed for it went into the Ovation and Acclaim Series.
