Piper Aircraft’s M600 turboprop received its FAA type certification, the company announced Friday. The clean-sheet wing design, touchscreen avionics and a newly designed interior will meet customer demands in the single-engine turbine market, according to Piper, which has aggressively marketed the M600 since announcing it in April 2015. The airplane will advertise a maximum range of 1484 NM and a cruising true airspeed speed of 274 knots, more than originally expected.
The six-seat aircraft flies with a 600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A turboprop engine. With more power than the M500 Meridian, the M600 will offer a step-up model for a price of $2.853 million. The cockpit has dual Garmin touchscreen controllers and G3000 avionics. Safety enhancements include Emergency Descent Mode, Electronic Stability Protection, Level Mode and Underspeed/Overspeed Protection. The M600 underwent more than 1850 hours of testing with three aircraft for certification, the company said. Piper developed the new flagship turboprop as part of three models in the M-Class line that include the M500 and M350.
