PA-46-310P Malibu The original Malibu was the third pressurized single-engine piston civil airplane in existence, after the
Mooney M22 (1965–1970) and
Cessna P210N/R Pressurized Centurion (1978–1986), but has remained in production far longer. The first example of the initial production version flew in August 1982, and
FAA certification was obtained in September 1983. Deliveries started two months later. 404 aircraft with Continental TSIO-520 engines were built before this model was replaced in production by the PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage. The PA-46-310P is powered by a
Continental TSIO-520BE engine rated at . The PA-46-310P has lower fuel consumption, greater range, and the ability to cruise at "
lean-of-peak." The PA-46-310P has a maximum cruising range of (with reserves), while the PA-46-350P initially had a maximum cruising range of only , although this is now increased to . The PA-46-310P Malibu has set several world speed records: Seattle to New York set November 23, 1987 at ; Detroit to Washington, DC set January 4, 1989 at ; and Chicago to Toronto set on January 8, 1989, at . All three records were set by Steve Stout in his 1986 Malibu N9114B. The Continental TSIO-520-BE powered Malibu was discontinued in 1988 following a series of incidents and accidents attributed to engine failures. One such accident resulted in a settlement in which Teledyne Continental Motors paid $32,125,000 to a pilot injured in the crash of a Malibu.
PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage Production of the Malibu Mirage commenced in October 1988 for the 1989 model year. New features included a more powerful
Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A engine and a new wing. Various changes have occurred over the model years. Earlier models had an all-King panel and later this became largely
Garmin, the
Garmin G1000 glass cockpit is now standard. In 1995, the pilot's windshield became a glass assembly (earlier it had been
acrylic glass with a heat strip overlay). In 1996, numerous switches were moved to an overhead console. In 1999, the Mirage gained the strengthened wing designed for the turboprop Meridian.
PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian In 1997, Piper announced its intention to market a turboprop-powered version of the Malibu, and flew a prototype the following year powered by a
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A of . Certification was achieved in September 2000 and deliveries began in November that year. Changes made to allow for turboprop power include larger wings and tail surfaces. In 2009, Piper began offering the Meridian with a three-screen version of the
Garmin G1000 including the Garmin GFC 700 autopilot as a replacement for the
Avidyne Entegra system. Piper added wing root filets to increase wing area and of fuel capacity, a larger tailplane and reinforced wing spar and landing gear to raise MTOW to then from 2003. For a trip, block fuel is at block speed, while its maximum cruise speed is .
Piper M-Class Piper Aircraft no longer refers to their top-of-the-line aircraft with the names Malibu, Malibu Mirage or Malibu Meridian. The PA-46 line of aircraft, as of 2024, is now referred to as the Piper M-Class. The M350, M500, M600 and the newest M700 make up the M-Class line.
M350 The M350 is an updated version of the Mirage and is recognized as one of the safest single-engines by the airplane insurance industry. It will initiate an emergency descent in the case that the pilot becomes incapacitated as a result of hypoxia. The M350 is capable of cruising at with a range of . The plane has a service ceiling of . No wind, standard day gross weight takeoff is achieved in and landing in .
M500 The M500 is an updated version of the Meridian. It also has the updated Garmin G1000 NXi flight system, like the M350. The G1000 NXi system includes an automatic wings-level function and control override to prevent exceeding the plane's flight envelope. Its purpose is to maintain a safe, stable flight condition in the case of pilot disorientation or incapacitation. The safety feature is called Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP). The M500 also has
ADS-B, but no
FADEC. The M500's fuel tanks can carry and its Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A engine burns . It is a light plane with a maximum ramp weight of and
MTOW. It cruises at at an altitude of .
M600 In 2015, Piper introduced the M600 (company designation PA-46-600TP), The new M600 is equipped with the
Garmin G3000, a new wing and more fuel capacity. The aircraft is more capable than the M500, as the M600 has greater range and a slightly higher top speed. It has
anti-hypoxia tools like in the M350. It received its FAA certification on June 18, 2016. Its
NBAA Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) range is , up from for the M500, and maximum cruise speed is , up from the M500's . The M600's MTOW is , up from the M500's , with a fuel capacity, greater than the M500's . The M600's standard equipped weight is higher than the M500's. Full-fuel payload for the M600 is compared to for the M500. Between June 2016 and March 2018, 50 have been delivered, mostly in the U.S. and mostly are owner-flown.