AIRCRAFT PROFILE MAY.qxp_Finance 19/04/2022 09:34 Page 1
AIRCRAFT PROFILE
PIPER M600: Vive La Revolution Though Piper has had a successful evolutionary approach to its turboprop aircraft since introducing the Meridian, developments for the Piper M600/SLS raised the bar to ‘revolutionary’, as Dave Higdon explains…
T
here’s been a lot of evolutionary and revolutionary change since Piper first moved the PA-46 Malibu Mirage from its roots as a pressurized piston single. In 1997, Piper announced its intention to market a turboprop-powered version of the Malibu, and flew a prototype the following year. That prototype was the Piper Meridian, powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A offering 500shp, and certification was achieved in September 2000, with deliveries beginning that same year. Changes were made to the Malibu’s airframe to allow for turboprop power, including larger wings and tail surfaces, and the Meridian proved an instant hit with the market.
60 Vol 26 Issue 5 2022 AVBUYER MAGAZINE
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