Page 26 - Volume 20 Number 8

EN ROUTEPiper’s Flagship M600 Turboprop Achieves CertificationOn June 17, 2016, Piper Aircraft’s newest flagship, the Piper M600, received type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. Piper Aircraft, Inc. and the FAA made the announcement at the company’s headquarters in Vero Beach, Florida.On behalf of the FAA, the type certificate was presented to Piper Aircraft President and CEO Simon Caldecott by Piper’s FAA ODA Administrator Eric Wright in front of more than 700 guests, including community leaders, Piper Aircraft dealers, suppliers, and Piper Aircraft employees.“We are delighted to announce the certification of the M600 by the FAA”, said Simon Caldecott. “With unique and innovative safety features for the single engine turboprop segment, the competitiveness of the M600 is further enhanced by the aircraft’s performance and industry leading operating and acquisition costs.”Piper Aircraft validated the M600’s performance, safety, function and reliability through extensive ground and flight tests with the FAA. The total flight hours accumulated during development and certification werein excess of 1,850 hours using three flight test aircraft. “This achievement of type certification for the M600 was the result of the collaborative effort between the FAA and the team at Piper Aircraft,” said James Funk, Piper Aircraft’s Chief Operating Officer. “Both teams worked together to develop and test this exceptionalproduct, which we can now bring to market.”The M600’s maximum range, originally expected to be 1,200 nautical miles with NBAA IFR reserves, has been increased to 1,484 nm at intermediate cruise settings with NBAA IFR reserves. Additionally, the planned maximum cruise speed objective of 260 knots/ true airspeed has been extended to 274 ktas. The M600 also boasts a Vmo speed of 250 kcas and a max payloadof 1,120 lbs.“We continue to be impressed with the exceptionalperformance of the M600 and expect that the benefits will expand the capabilities and market reach of the aircraft. The overall superior value proposition within the single-engine turboprop market segment sets the M600 apart from the competition”, said Drew McEwen, Piper Aircraft Vice President of Sales and Marketing.About The M600The M600, the most advanced and capable aircraft in Piper’s M-class line-up, seats six and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A turboprop engine flat rated at 600 SHP. The M600 features the most sophisticated general aviation avionics suite available from Garmin. The Garmin G3000 offers industry-leading intuitiveness and powerful avionics capabilities. Its innovative pilot interface design allows for easy and efficient flight deck management; increasing safety margins and reducing pilot workload. Ergonomically crafted for the pilot, control of radios, audio and intercom channels, transponder codes, charts, mapping, flight plan entry and system set up have been greatly simplified with dual Garmin GTC 570 touchscreen controllers, providing a centralized point of access for the majority of avionics tuning, selection and data inputs. The M600 has enhanced safety features including Emergency Descent Mode, Electronic Stability Protection, Level Mode and Underspeed/Overspeed Protection.24 • TWIN & TURBINEAUGUST 2016