Piper Aircraft has announced two new generation aircraft for its M-Class range this week.
The 600-SHP M600 and the turbo-charged M350 have been added to the M500 Meridian, which was introduced in January.
The M600 is a six-seater powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A engine. The aircraft has a max cruise speed of 260 KTAS, a max range of 1300 nm and a useful load of 1089 kg. By comparision, the M500 has a 1000 nm range and useful load of 770 kg for the same TAS.
"Our customers and dealers asked for an aircraft with more payload and additional range," said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott.
"We listened and we delivered. The M600 encompasses the most advanced safety measures available today in the most ambitious package, with an overall value proposition that is extremely compelling to corporate flight departments and individuals alike.
"With the advent of the M600, we have given our customers an option to travel nonstop from New York to Florida with added peace of mind afforded by the latest and most advanced safety enhancements,"
Upgrades to the M600 include Garmin 3000 avionics, electronic stablility protection, underspeed protection, hypoxia detection and coupled go-around.
Slotting neatly into the range between the M500 and the Matrix, is the cabin-class M350. Another six-seater, the M350 is fitted with a TIO-540-AE2A Lycoming delivering 350 HP.
"The 2015 Piper M350 comes equipped with the very latest Garmin avionics package for increased safety," Caldecott said.
"As part of our continued focus on product improvements, we identified an opportunity to give our customers the most advanced safety features available for this class of aircraft. The addition of proven avionics technology with Electronic Stability Protection, Underspeed Protection, and automatic Level Mode were among other improvements.
"What's more, a Piper M350 can now safely fly itself unassisted to lower altitudes in the rare case that the pilot is non-responsive at altitudes where oxygen is required."
With a top speed of 213 KTAS and range of 1343 nm, the M350 is comparable in performance to the Matrix, but the 350 is slightly heavier, reducing the useful load to 593 kg compared to the standard Matrix' 615 kg.
More information on the new M-Class aircraft and the entire Piper range is available through on the Piper website.