US airframer Piper Aircraft has unveiled the M700 Fury – its fastest ever single-engined aircraft – a turboprop that boasts an uprated Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine that offers a maximum cruise speed of over 300kt (555km/h) and climb performance 34% better than its M600 SLS predecessor.
In addition to the 700hp (522kW)-rated PT6A-52 engine and five-bladed Hartzell propeller, the Fury gains the latest generation of Garmin’s G3000 digital flightdeck, featuring both autoland and autothrottle safety systems.
Range is pegged at 1,150nm (1,850km) at the M700’s maximum cruise speed of 301kt, or 1,424nm at normal cruise with six passengers on board. Comparatively, the M600 SLS has a maximum cruise speed of 274kt.
Piper says the M700 “represents the first step towards a new generation of the M-Class family”, offering better “performance, operational cost efficiencies, and overall value” than previous members of its PA46 line and competing aircraft.
The M700 outperforms the M600 SLS in several key flight phases including: take-off distance of 608m (1,994ft) – a 24% improvement; initial climb rate of 2,048ft/min (32% better); climb to 25,000ft in just under 14min (34% better); and a landing distance of 595m (26% better).
“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 chief executive John Calcagno.
Changes to the airframe required to accommodate the more powerful engine – gaining 100hp over the -42A model on the M600 SLS – include a redesigned intake plenum, new engine mount assemblies and an improved exhaust stack.
US certification of the M700 is expected by the end of the first quarter, allowing deliveries to begin shortly after. Approvals from regulators in Brazil, Canada, the UK and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency are expected in the second half of 2024, with shipments before year-end.
