Why didn the Starship sell well?
1) Revolutionary design. The aviation community accepts new concepts slowly and evolution is generally preferred over revolution. While many potential buyers were awestruck by the Starship’s beauty, most chose to sit on the fence for a few years to see if the Starship proved to be a viable design. The Starship was radically different from conventional aircraft when introduced in the mid 1980’s and heralded four revolutionary technologies: a) First certificated all glass cockpit and FMS b) First certificated all composite business class aircraft (still the only certificated composite wing) c) First certificated tandem wing (canard) aircraft. d) First certificated pusher We all now know that the glass cockpit is superior to steam gauges and that composites are superior to metal for airframe construction. The canard vs. conventional configuration is still a topic of heated debate, however. All I can say is, why in the world would you want to have a tail mounted stabilizer that pushes DOWN
