Piper Aircraft Debuts Single-Engine Meridian M500

The M500 is Piper’s newest single-engine aircraft in their M-class series. The aircraft which has been in production since the early 1980s will receive several key upgrades. The new M500 will feature Garmin G1000 avionics which is comprised of dual 10-inch PFDs with all the basic instruments and a centrally-located 12-inch MFD that has a movie map display, electronic charts, real time weather and more. Other features include an automatic level mode which will bring the airplane to a neutral position with the press of a button. Included in the Garmin avionics system is the Garmin Electronic Stability Protection. The system prevents stalls and loss of control when the autopilot is disengaged.

The autopilot system is a GFC 700 with enhanced autopilot flight control system. Underspeed Protection (USP) protects the aircraft from stalls, while autopilot is engaged by maintaining airspeed at or above the stall. Also featured on the aircraft are the Aspen EFD-100 standby instruments, electroluminescent placards in the cockpit, GTX 33 extended squitter transponder, a centrally-located audio panel, dual USB charging ports, and GTS 825 traffic advisory system. As an optional upgrade, the Garmin GSR-56 global satellite datalink Iridium satellite transceiver is available.

A single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A engine is used to power the M500. The 500shp engine can propel the aircraft to its 482kmph (260ktas) maximum cruise speed. The aircraft has a range of 1000nm. The starting price for the Meridian M500 business jet is a mere USD$2.26 million. Piper has been manufacturing planes since 1927. Over 144,000 aircraft have been produced across 160 certified models. It is estimated that 90,000 are still flying today. Piper has headquarters in Vero Beach, Florida and is owned by the Brunei Ministry of Finance, as well as by Beechcraft and Cessna.