VERO BEACH — Piper Aircraft this morning announced that it has received FAA approval for the M600, a new single-engine, six-seat business aircraft on which the company has pinned many of its hopes for the future.
The announcement took place at a gala, razzle-dazzle event at the airplane factory in Vero Beach attended by some 800 people, including 650 Piper employees.
A representative of the Federal Aviation Administration presented the official type certificate to company President and CEO Simon Caldecott. Caldecott said the certificate means the plane has been certified as airworthy and ready for sale.
Also attending were representatives from engine-maker Pratt & Whitney Canada, electronics and guidance system-maker Garmin Avionics, and the customer who purchased the first production model.
Caldecott said more 100,000 engineering hours went into the redesign of Piper’s stalwart M500 airplane that increased the speed, range and other capabilities of the aircraft in response input from customers about features they wanted in a new Piper product.
He said the redesign and recertification process proceeded more rapidly and resulted in an airplane with greater capabilities than what the company expected at the outset.
With a range of 1,500 nautical miles, the M600 can fly non-stop from Miami to New York or from Los Angeles to Seattle without refueling.
Tom Haines, editor-in-chief at Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, predicts “the M600 will be good for Piper. The additional range and payload of the M600 makes it a much stronger competitor in the single-engine turboprop market.”
The plane does seem to be finding favor in the market. The company says it has already sold more than 30 of the $2.85 million aircraft.
Piper says it plans to add 75 employees as production ramps up later this year.
