# Canard jetliner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2002, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555 "2002-03-16T00:51:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/1 "2002-03-16T00:51:15Z")
For the second time in as many days, I’ve observed an unusual aircraft in what appeared to be the approach to Hobby Airport. It was a canard with four jet engines right next to the seemingly narrow fuselage at the rear, wing mounted. The wings had vertical stabilizers at their outer edges, and horizontal stabilizers at about the cockpit. It seemed to be a fairly sizeable airplane, but I don’t really know what altitude it was seen at. That’s just based on it seeming to be in the same corridor that I see many commercial jets use everyday. FWIW, the path it was following wouuld also be taking it in the direction of both NASA and Ellington Field. So, is somebody flying a canard jetliner? What do you think it was? It _was_ a beautiful sight. ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/2 "2002-03-16T01:37:52Z")
May be a [Beech Starship](http://www.aeronauticpictures.com/jpegs/img0075.jpg) . It’s a bizjet rather than a fuul-size jetliner, and it uses 2 turboprops instead of four jets, but other than that it fits your description. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/3 "2002-03-16T01:58:16Z")
That’s darn close **Shiva**. Except for the engines, the configuration is correct. These 48 year old eyes _seemed_ to percieve four jet nacelles, with no apparent turbofans. And perspective can mean a lot - it seemed a bit longer and skinnier than the photo you linked, but, as I say, the config matches. Thanks for the input. I’ll be watchin’ for more detail. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/4 "2002-03-16T02:05:27Z")
I was going to go out on a limb and suggest the [XB-70](http://www2.interceptor.com/~thumper/xb2/takeoff1-1.gif), arguably one of the coolest planes ever made. A man can dream, right? What I wouldn’t give to see these things flying again. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/5 "2002-03-16T02:15:31Z")
The [Proteus](http://www.scaled.com/projects/proteus/proteus.htm) is kind of similar. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/6 "2002-03-16T02:17:21Z")
**flyboy** , I didn’t put in my OP, as I know there are none flying, but the Valkyrie was the first thing it brought to mind when I saw it. I only first got to see the Valkyrie on my Ohio visit to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson last summer. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/7 "2002-03-16T02:22:01Z")
**scr4** , thanks for the input. That craft doesn’t really match what I saw, though. The Beech Starship is the most likely candidate at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/8 "2002-03-16T04:09:10Z")
Had to be a Beech Starship. It’s the only thing that size and configuration that you’ll find flying in the U.S., I think, unless it’s an experimental prototype or something. And I think we would have heard about that. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/9 "2002-03-16T10:52:47Z")
All I can say is, get your camera ready, just in case. ---
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canard-jetliner/98555/10 "2002-03-16T10:56:35Z")
Hey Beatle/Ringo I think [This](http://www.piaggioamerica.com/) might be what you are seeing. Peace LIONsob