Piper Aircraft Inc.’s M600 has received EASA certification, the company said.
“This is the fifth certification the M600 has received in less than a year from aviation authorities around the world,” said Simon Caldecott, Piper Aircraft CEO. “The European certification is a key milestone for the aircraft, which has garnered substantial interest due to the M600’s range, payload and safety features along with its outstanding operating economics. With the recent approval by EASA for single-engine turbine airplanes to operate at night or in instrument conditions, the M600 is ideally positioned to take advantage of this expanded opportunity.”
EASA certification coincides with a European demo tour, which is going on now and could continue through June. The M600 has flown 55 demos and nearly 100 flight hours in six different European nations. It has also made appearances at three trade events.
The first EASA-certificated M600 is set for delivery to the Czech Republic, and should enter service during the third quarter of 2017. Piper Aircraft said the M600 price point is some $1 million less than the closest competitor.
The M600 has a clean-sheet-designed wing and a Garmin G3000 touchscreen glass flight deck. It seats six, has a max range of 1,484 nm, and a standard useful load of 2,400 pounds. A Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A 600 shp engine powers the aircraft.