Piper Aircraft has a new model in its PA46 line of high performance aircraft; the single engine, 700 shaft horsepower, cabin-class Piper M700 Fury turboprop.

The Piper M700 Fury represents the first step towards a new generation of the M-Class family, outperforming past PA46 models and several competitive aircraft in performance, operational cost efficiencies and overall value. Powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 engine, it boasts a maximum cruise speed of 301ktas with a maximum range of 1,149nm/1,849km (at maximum cruise speed, 1,424nm at normal cruise speed) while maintaining its Basic Med compliant 6,000lb MGTOW limit.

At a 301kts maximum cruise speed, the M700 Fury stands alone as the fastest single engine aircraft in Piper’s 87 year, 134,000 unit production history, and it is the second fastest model of all time. Only the Piper Cheyenne 400LS turbine twin is faster.

Among its key performance highlights in different phases of flight are TOFL distance over a 50' obstacle at SL, STD day MGTOW of 1,994ft, representing a 641ft, 24 per cent improvement when compared to the M600 SLS that it replaces. That TOFL performance is also 1,198ft (38 per cent) shorter than a competing single engine jet.

After a MGTOW departure, the M700 enjoys a class-leading 2,048fpm climb rate, 32 per cent better than the M600. Once settled into the climb, the M700 Fury reaches FL250 in 13.9 minutes (34 per cent quicker than the M600) after covering a short 34 mile distance (35 per cent less distance than prior) while burning 97lbs of fuel (25 per cent less fuel than the M600 and nearly 50 per cent less fuel than a single engine jet competitor).

“The M700 Fury is a beautifully efficient, cross-country thoroughbred that gives our customers a performance-based flight experience with economics never seen before,” says Piper president and CEO John Calcagno. “We listened, and we delivered. The M700 Fury encompasses power, performance and the most advanced safety measures available today, and an overall value proposition that is extremely compelling to individuals and corporate flight departments alike.”

Airframe changes to accommodate the more powerful engine include a redesigned, more efficient intake plenum that improves ram air recovery, new engine mount assemblies and an improved exhaust stack design that maximises residual thrust.

The engine itself is a PT6A-52, the first time this engine has been used to power a single engine turboprop.

“During our 55 year collaboration with Piper, we’ve had the privilege of powering some of the most successful single engine turboprops in the industry,” says P&WC vice president, global sales and marketing, Anthony Rossi. “The M700 Fury is an evolutionary addition to the Piper line-up that includes the PT6A-42A-powered M500 and M600 programmes. In total, we have supplied Piper with 12 different PT6A engine models, delivering 3,100 engines to power more than 2,000 Piper Aircraft.”

Pratt & Whitney worked closely with Piper to integrate an electronic low oil level indicator, the first such device on a Piper Aircraft, that facilitates the pre-flight process.

The PT6A is the only engine to achieve single engine instrument flight rules status for passenger revenue activity in North America, Australia, Europe and New Zealand, important for owner and operators of the M700 Fury who plan to use the aircraft to carry paying passengers.

It also features Garmin’s G3000 avionics system, a touchscreen-controlled glass flight deck that offers a comprehensive, intuitive and technologically advanced package. It all comes standard, along with the HALO Safety System including Garmin’s Autoland technology that was first certified in the M600/SLS.

The new model will retain Garmin's PlaneSync technology, which includes a 4G LTE cellular and wi-fi datalink that enables new avionics capabilities to streamline an aircraft owner’s pre-flight and post-flight activities. Piper is also first-to-market with Garmin's remote aircraft status capability enabling owners to remotely check the fuel quantity, aircraft location, oil temperature, battery voltage, the current METAR at the aircraft’s location and more via the Garmin Pilot application.

There are six new interior schemes featuring new leathers and aesthetically styled seats.

FAA certification for the aircraft will be achieved before the end of Q1 2024, with deliveries starting immediately thereafter. International validations for Canada, EASA, the UK and Brazil will be achieved in the second half of the year, with customer deliveries in those regions before the end of the year.