Flying Innovation Award Nominee: Piper M600

Major enhancements inside and out make Piper's M600 the most advanced iteration of the PA-46 ever.

Four key changes to the previous Meridian turboprop elevate the new M600 to a worthy contender for Flying’s 2017 Innovation Award. First, Piper designed an all-new wing that offers improvements in payload and speed and can hold more fuel. The company also increased flat-rated power in the M600’s Pratt & Whitney PT6A to 600 hp and added touchscreen Garmin G3000 avionics to the front office space. Finally, the Vero Beach, Florida manufacturer created an attractive new interior that is a major step up from the original Meridian’s.

Priced at $2.85 million, the M600 offers additional speed, range and payload that fills the void between Piper’s M500 and the TBM series. It also offers the most sophisticated avionics suite and safety automation available in a single-engine turboprop.

Click here to read our Piper M600 flight report.

Flying will announce the winner of the first-ever Innovation Award later this month at Oshkosh. The Piper M600 is vying for the prize against other worthy contenders including the HondaJet, the CubCrafters XCub, the Dynon D10A and Garmin G5 flight displays and the SiriusXM SXAR1 portable satellite weather data receiver.