Page 11 - Oct2016 Vol 20 No 10

flows drop into the 260-250 pph range, we were told.For descent, the M600 has a 250-knot Vmo available, so it can keep up with fast traffic more easily than the M500; Mmo is .55 up high. There is underspeed and overspeed protection built into the G3000’s architecture, as well as maneuvering restraint; when we reached 45-degrees of bank, there was a noticeable righting force applied to the yoke, and if we persisted in banking steeper the airplane rolled out into level flight. The protection can be overridden, but not easily. A “level” button can also be pushed to automatically bring the airplane back into stable straight-and-level flight.We went to near-idle torque to check out stall handling, and found both aerodynamic warning and aural warning more than adequate. The stall break came at 75 knots IAS with flaps up and at a benign 60 knots with gear and flaps down. Again, the yoke resists intentionally being pulled back into the stall and the nose will be pushed down by the autopilot.Returning for landing, Bart Jones showed us that 500 ft/lbs slowed the aircraft predictably to the 170-knot gear-down speed, and 15-degrees of flap could be selected at 148 knots or less. As we rolled onto base leg, I confess that I found the 112- knot full-flap limit speed a bit too confining, but 300 ft/lbs kept us moving nicely and we slowed to a comfortable 85 knots on short final. We floated for a while, feeling for the ground, but the touchdown was easy and we exited in about 3,000 feet of rollout.Our impressions of the M600 are that it’s what Piper had in mind all along when it designed the original Meridian. It can haul a good useful load, can carry plenty of fuel when needed, and is easy to fly, manually or with automation. The simple systems make for low pilot work•load. All in all, it should fill its flagship role at Piper with great success. T&TOCTOBER 2016McCatty Half Page 4/C AdRocky Mountain Propellers Inc. Sixth PageB/W AdTWIN & TURBINE • 9