New Piper’s impressive single-engine Meridian was primarily designed as an entry-level turbine for Piper owners stepping up from the Mirage. Indeed, the resemblance between the piston-powered Mirage and the turbine Meridian is more than coincidental, but the two aeroplanes are more different from each other than they look.

Side-by-side, the differences between the two aircraft appear to be subtle. The most obvious is the Pratt & Whitney engine. Turbines are considerably lighter and deliver far greater horsepower than piston engines, and that means they must be mounted farther forward to preserve the Centre of Gravity. In the Meridian’s case, that translates to just under a foot more fuselage than the Mirage. Cabin dimensions remain unchanged, with six seats and baggage storage both in front of and at aft cabin.

The biggest change however – not just from the Mirage but more so from the older version of the Meridian – is 
the G1000 avionics package.

Can avionics change the general character of an aeroplane? Can they change the experience a pilot has of the hardware? It's a big claim, but that's what Piper says the G1000 does for the Meridian.

The G1000 setup has a trio of screens, a PFD for the pilot and copilot - the Meridian is, of course, a single-pilot aircraft - and a huge 15-inch diagonal MFD for the middle display. The Avidyne Entegra system is still available for the Meridian, but it is a much less sophisticated system than this iteration of G1000. Operating the Entegra system is a little like operating the several different systems with which it integrates. It does this well, but it is not a true integrated system. G1000, on the other hand, is.

Apart from the changes the avionics bring, the Meridian continues to reflect the design philosophy of the team that conceived the original Malibu 20 years ago. Cabin room is generous, but there’s no unnecessary wetted area aft of the rear seats. They used Boeings practical approach as a guide.

According to the Piper experts, airframe weight is critical in airliners. When passengers and baggage are enclosed, you stop trying to create a work of art and stick on the tail. You don’t taper the aft empennage, and you minimise weight and drag by keeping the fuselage as short as possible.

One of the great joys of turbine-powered aircraft, be they prop or jet, is that once you have the engine(s) running, there’s little left to do but fly. Speeds are definitely higher, and it’s important to adjust your brain to stay ahead of the aeroplane, but systems are actually simpler than on a typical piston model.

With 500 shp on tap from the PT6A-42A, the Meridian comes off the ground cleanly at 80 knots and starts uphill aggressively. Clean up the underwing, hold 110 knots, and you’ll see an easy 1,500-fpm climb at gross, more like 2,000 fpm flying with full fuel and only two pilots up front.

Most pilots don’t buy an aeroplane in this class to fly at economy cruise, and given its head, the Meridian can speed along at 250 knots at 25,000 feet. If your mission allows a maximum fuel load, you can pump 170 gallons aboard the essentially all-wet wing. At a typical burn of 33 to 37 gph, that’s enough for a realistic 3.5 hours plus reserve or almost 900 nm between pit stops.

The aircraft is a flexible machine, comfortable and stable if you need to shoot an ILS at 120 knots, but it will as easily accept an 80-knot short-field effort into an unobstructed 2,500-foot strip. There’s no reason any pilot with a modicum of time in Bonanzas, Centurions, Saratogas or the like shouldn’t adjust to the Meridian in a few hours.

Pilots who desire a high-performance turbine single can invest their cash in the slick, comfortable and imminently easy-flying Meridian, certainly one of the simplest propjets in the sky.

SPECIFICATIONS AND EQUIPMENT
Max Cruising Speed: 260 ktas (482 km/h)
Range with 45 Minute Reserve: 1,000 nm (1,885 km)
Standard Useful Load: 1,701 lbs (771 kg)
Number of Seats: 6
Maximum Approved Altitude: 30,000 ft (9,144 m)
Engine: Pratt & Whitney Turboprop PT6A-42A, 500 shp 
Wing Span: 43 ft (13.1 m)
Length: 29.6 ft (9.0 m)
Height: 11.3 ft (3.4 m)
Cabin Length: 148 in (375.9 cm)