Page 4 - Jan21T&T

Plane to Plane
You might have noticed we have published numerous (pre-owned) aircraft comparison articles over the past two years – beginning with the “Top Turboprop” series in the fall of 2019, followed by “Piston Power” last summer. T &T contributor Joe Casey has authored 10 comparison articles in all, garnering a great deal of positive reader feedback. Here is the full list and timeline of articles (you can find each by visiting twinandturbine.com):
• Meridian and TBM 700C2 (September 2019)
• King Air C90 and King Air 200 (October 2019)
• Pilatus PC-12 and King Air 350 (November 2019)
• Meridian and JetPROP (December 2019)
• MU2 and B100 (January 2020)
• King Air 90 and Turbine Duke (February 2020)
• Cessna 310 and Beechcraft Baron 58 (May 2020)
• Piper Malibu and Piper Mirage (June 2020)
• Cirrus SR22 and Diamond DA62 (July 2020)
• Cessna 421C and King Air C90 (August 2020)
This month, Joe does it again with “Prop to Prop: Comparing the Cirrus SR22T and Piper Meridian” – an article that resulted directly from a reader’s letter to the editor. Thank you, Terry!
Terry is a Cirrus owner and inquired whether a T &T team member could offer a direct comparison between a high performance single-engine piston (SR22T) and a single-engine turbine (Meridian). His listed areas of
interest were fuel costs, overall maintenance, speed, fuel burn and training – but welcomed any additional information as he researches the step up to a turbine.
“People always seem to move from a single-engine to a twin, and I think the next progression is really moving up to a small turbine like the Meridian – and I have no idea where to start and find these answers. I am sure someone on your staff could help with this and your readers will find it very interesting. Thanks for your consideration.”
It turns out Joe receives a lot of phone calls about this particular comparison and jumped at the opportunity to write the article. He covers Terry’s requested performance and cost questions while adding in other considerations like insurance, avionics and mission profiles: “You’d think these two airplanes would never end up on the same want list, but they do. Why? They are both super cross-country machines that attract buyers who want the latest and greatest avionics, who will not compromise on safety, and who want something newer.”
Check out the full story on page 10. We are super fortunate to have Joe on the team with his expansive knowledge of owner-flown aircraft and the market. And for a more technical outlook regarding the piston to single-engine turbine transition, turn to page 6 for Thomas Turner’s overview of the differences in the engines, systems, flight characteristics and more. I look forward to hearing the feedback.
Is there a specific aircraft comparison (piston, turboprop or light jet) you would like to see in a future Twin & Turbine? Submit your request to my email below.
rebecca@twinandturbine.com
Editor’s Briefing
by Rebecca Groom Jacobs
2 • TWIN & TURBINE / January 2021