Piper Aircraft

As Piper prepares for the market introduction of the M600 single-engine turboprop, scheduled to receive its FAA certification stamp of approval in the third quarter, the Vero Beach, Florida, company is dropping the prices and adding features to its other M-class models to make them more attractive to buyers. The Pratt & Whitney PT6A-powered M500’s […]

Piper Meridian and M500 owners can now shave some weight from their airplanes and improve performance by switching to a Hartzell composite propeller. Hartzell has achieved an STC for a five-blade propeller designed specifically for these Piper models. The weight savings with the five-blade composite propeller over the aluminum four-blade prop that comes standard with […]

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a popular book in the ’70s, and though I’ve tried several times, I’ve never been able to penetrate more than a few dozen pages. That said, I’ve always been a proponent of keeping my rolling stock (on the ground and in the air) in good working order. Maybe […]

It was a perfect early summer day in Minnesota, warm and clear with a wisp of breeze, the sort of day that we northern fliers will be dreaming of when the snow flies — right about the time you’re reading this. I relaxed on our back deck, savoring my morning coffee and watching our dog, […]

The Piper Super Cub was a popular inspiration for aircraft both certified and kit-built. Check out these modern look-alikes and how they compare to the classic. [Historical pricing included in this update from 2015 and preserved for the record.]

Piper Aircraft and Hartzell Propeller are working together on approval for a five-blade composite propeller for the Piper Meridian and M500 through a supplemental type certificate (STC). The STC for both Piper models is anticipated by the end of the fourth quarter of this year, the companies said at EAA AirVenture 2015 in Oshkosh. “The […]

Calling it an “agonizing decision for the company,” Piper Aircraft announced plans to layoff up to 150 workers in Vero Beach, Florida, in response to economic instability in “several key regions around the world” including Europe, Latin America and Asia. Piper’s announcement in a press release issued Wednesday morning said, “As a direct result of […]

The FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) for owners of certain Piper PA-46 models after the recent discovery of fatigue cracking in the wing main spar lower cap in a Malibu Mirage. According to the FAA, during routine inspection of the PA-46-350P, an inch-and-a-half-long crack was discovered in the main spar lower cap, […]

Piper arrived at Sun ‘n Fun with further details of three new airplanes — the M350, M500 and M600 — all based on the venerable PA-46 type certificate that has been a staple of the brand since the early 1980s. The new generation of M-class airplanes are the best ones yet thanks to additional payload […]

On the heels of Piper’s introduction of the Meridian M500 earlier this year, the company on Monday unveiled two additional models to its M-class lineup, the M350 and the Garmin G3000-equipped M600, at an event attended by hundreds of customers and dealers. In addition to its touchscreen G3000 avionics, the big news with the M600 […]