Piper’s PA-46-500TP Meridian made its debut in September 2000 as the lowest priced pressurized, single-engine turboprop offered by any airframe manufacturer and it has retained that distinction ever since. Piper created the Meridian by swapping a 500-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A for the 350-hp piston-engine of the PA-46 Malibu Mirage and modifying the airframe to handle the extra weight and speed. Everything about this project was designed to keep development costs low and that’s reflected in the final product.
To most people flying boats mean majestic Pan Am Clippers. But to me they’re cramped, hard-used machines, tepid coffee from a thermos and bologna sandwiches.
Aerion Corp., which is still looking for a manufacturing partner to develop, certify and build its supersonic business jet design, is not getting an eager reception among the established makers of bizjets.
Want to step up to turbine reliability, 250-plus-knot cruise speeds and virtually unbeatably low operating costs? Consider the Piper Meridian, a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-powered derivative of the PA-46 Malibu/Mirage pressurized, piston-powered single with a modified wing, 2.5-foot wider stabilizer, beefier gear and increased fuel capacity, plus updated systems. It climbs directly to FL 280 and cruises for 1,000 nm with full tanks.
Short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft will be the latest addition to the Homeland Security Dept.'s air force for protecting the U.S. from terrorism and smuggling.
Deliveries of the Premier I, Raytheon Aircraft's first-ever, clean sheet jet, now are approaching 70 units, so B/CA recently surveyed operators to determine how well the aircraft is living up to their expectations. It turns out they love its speed, roomy cockpit, cabin and baggage compartment, Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite and handling qualities, but many early aircraft operators report they experienced dispatch reliability woes, as one might expect from a leading-edge-technology design aircraft.
Cessna Aircraft recently celebrated the delivery of its 100th Model 525A CJ2, a benchmark in the life of a business airplane. Recently B/CA surveyed operators to determine how well the aircraft is living up to their expectations. Almost all operators gave the CJ2 a qualified thumbs up. Indeed, not one of the dozens of operators with whom we spoke was dissatisfied with the overall performance and utility of the CJ2, even though most had gripes about something -- airframe, engine, avionics or systems.
