Notable for its unusual canard design and extensive use of carbon fiber composite, it did not sell many units and production ceased in 1995, only nine years after the Starship's first flight.

Development of the Starship began in 1979 when Beech decided to explore designs for a successor to its King Air line of turboprops that would fly faster and carry more passengers.

[4] This aircraft had no pressurization system, no certified avionics, and a different airframe design and material specifications from the planned production Model 2000.

[1] Prototypes were produced even as development work was continuing—a system demanded by the use of composite materials, as the tooling required is very expensive and has to be built for production use from the outset.

By the end of development, the Starship had grown larger in cabin volume than the King Air 350 while having the same gross ramp weight of 15,010 lb (6,808 kg).

[7][8] The Starship is noteworthy for its unconventional carbon fiber composite airframe, canard design, lack of centrally located vertical tail, and pusher engine/propeller configuration.

The aircraft employs a variable-sweep canard surface in order to counteract the nose-down pitch from extending the flaps.

Beech attributed the slow sales to the economic slowdown in the late-1980s, the novelty of the Starship, and the tax on luxury items that was in effect in the United States at the time.

The list price in 1989 was $3.9 million, similar to the Cessna Citation V and Lear 31 jets, which were 89 and 124 knots faster than the Starship at maximum cruise, respectively.

In 2003 Beechcraft said that supporting such a small fleet of airplanes was cost-prohibitive and began scrapping and incinerating the aircraft under its control.

[41] In October 2008 NC-29 was the first of the five remaining privately owned airworthy Starships to complete RVSM certification, returning the aircraft's service ceiling to the original FL410 limit.

[42] Salt Lake Community College used a Starship in their Aviation Maintenance program until late 2012 when it was sold and scrapped for parts.

NC-33 lost its data plate when it was scrapped, was subsequently registered in Mexico, but when brought back to the US, the FAA revoked its certificate.