This test bed was first flown in December 1937 and confirmed the merits of its powerplant, leading to the decision to proceed with the design of a similarly-powered five-seat feeder-liner.

Jack Wassail was the project engineer, and the aircraft was soon under construction in Vega's new A-1 plant, located at the recently purchased Lockheed Air Terminal.

[3] The "Flying Testbed" was a custom built Vega Altair 8 (NX18149) used to test the experimental 520 hp Menasco Unitwin for use in the planned Starliner.

[4] Starliner Model 2, registered NX21725, rolled out of the factory in the spring of 1939 as a low-wing cabin monoplane with twin vertical tail surfaces.

It made its maiden flight at Burbank, California on April 22, 1939, with Vern Dorrell as pilot and J.B. Kendrick as engineering observer.

Repaired a second time, the Starliner satisfactorily completed a total of 85 flying hours; but due to its limited capacity of a pilot and four or five passengers, it was too small to satisfy the needs of the airlines.