PIPER

M700 Fury: the turboprop that flies like a jet

The M700 Fury is Piper's new bid to compete in the high-performance turboprop market. With a 700 shp engine and a maximum speed of 301 KTAS, the model combines technological advances, such as the HALO automatic landing system, the reliable PT6 engine and the Garmin G3000 suite, with the proven efficiency of the PA-46 airframe, modernized since the 1970s.

The M700 Fury is an evolution of the PA-46 line, launched in the 1970s to serve fast and medium-range flights. The first model, the PA-46-310P Malibu, was an immediate success, outperforming competitors such as the Mooney M22 and Cessna P210R. For years, Piper competed with Cessna, but in 1990, the TBM 700 brought innovation with its 700 shp PT6A-64 turboprop engine.

Piper responded a decade later with the PA-46-500TP Meridian, equipped with a 500 shp engine and Avidyne Entegra digital avionics, later upgraded to the Garmin G1000. Despite its good performance, it had payload limitations. With improvements, the M-Class family was born, including the M500, M350 and M600, the latter with a 600 shp engine, Garmin 3000 suite and greater range and speed. In 2020, Piper incorporated the Halo automatic landing system, based on Garmin's Autoland, consolidating the modernization of the line. The M600 began to deliver good overall numbers, and was even a viable and more economical option for VLJs such as the Eclipse 500 and Citation Mustang.

However, Daher responded to the developments of the PA-46, within its strategy of constant improvement of the TBM family, with the TBM 960, which added a series of improvements and offers a maximum speed of 330 knots, although in practice it varies between 252 KTAS and 326 KTAS. 700 shp and 301 KTAS.

Using the strategy that has been successful for over 40 years, Piper used the same basic fuselage as the original PA-46, with some small structural changes to meet the new requirements, such as a maximum cabin differential of 5.5 psi, resulting in a cabin altitude of 8,244 feet at FL280. The engine now has 700 shp, allowing it to fly at a maximum speed of 301 KTAS. Thus was born the M700 Fury (PA-46-701TP).

The name itself reflects the idea of ​​a high-performance aircraft, but without losing its essence based on the success of the PA-46 family. The M700 Fury still uses the same Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 engine used in the King Air 260, where it produces 850 shp, but it was limited to 700 shp in the M700 up to FL240. This allows for a wide power margin, reducing engine wear and lower maintenance costs.

In terms of performance, the maximum operating altitude is 30,000 feet, with a range of 1,149 nm, flying at maximum speed and with a reserve of 45 minutes, where the declared consumption is in the order of 55 gph. In fact, the usable fuel capacity is 260 gallons (1,742 pounds). If you reduce the range to 292 KTAS, the range increases to 1,424 nm, and flying at 206 KTAS, the range is an impressive 1,852 nm.

Although the user profile of the M700 Fury, especially in the United States, is for relatively short flights, exploiting the high speed. In Brazil, we do not necessarily have the same scenario, although most users seek a balance between range and speed.

Still, compared to the original Malibu, the cruise speed was around 216 knots and the range was 1,550 nm, making the M700's numbers really impressive considering it is the same basic design. Another interesting point is the climb speed of 2,048 feet per minute, 30% better than the M600, which already offered good numbers.

The maximum weight without fuel is 2,290 kilos, which theoretically allows a maximum of 540 kilos to be carried in the cabin, which means six passengers weighing 90 kilos each, but without luggage. Again, in a daily operation, more than four passengers are rarely carried. Perhaps, in the US, families with three or four children end up occupying all the seats, but considering they are children or teenagers, the weight is considerably less than 90 kilos per passenger.

Piper, like all manufacturers in this category of aircraft, has paid special attention to the needs and desires of pilots, who in most cases are the owners themselves. A highlight of the G3000 suite is its ability to assist in weight and balance calculations, in addition to the simplified interface and several features such as synthetic vision, 3D maps, and the option to view charts on the screen, among others.

The M700 is equipped as standard with the HALO automatic landing system, which also detects cases of hypoxia when the autopilot is activated above 14,100 feet, immediately descending to a safe altitude. And even so, if the pilot does not take control, HALO activates autoland. Another important point is the autothrottle capability, which prevents stalls and excess speed, in addition to making takeoffs safer. According to the manual, when you raise the thrust levers to 800 pounds of torque, the system takes over, automatically adjusting to 1,840 pounds of torque—without the need for manual adjustments during the takeoff run.

The plane is also equipped with a GFC 700 digital autopilot, GWX 75 weather radar, GDL60 Datalink, and an integrated digital cabin pressurization system.

The cabin interior is not the most spacious, at 1.25 meters wide and 1.19 meters high, and was designed to offer some comfort on short and medium flights, but prioritizing drag reduction, which helps explain why the Pa-46 family has been so fast since the first model. Even so, the cabin length, from the rear pressurization bulkhead to the instrument panel, is 148 inches, enough for quick trips. Considering the price range, in the order of 4.1 million dollars, the M700 Fury offers a cabin with reasonable space, with high speed, competing directly with the TBM 960, and still with operational numbers not so far from the SF50 Vision, but with very competitive costs.

Vivaero