What Makes A Piper Matrix A Whole New Bird? (Part One)

More Than Just An Unpressurized Malibu
Ya gotta give it to Piper... just when people were thinking that they were going to be buried under the development chores associated with the up and coming single engine Piper jet, they pop up with an airplane that not only gives them a solid wedge into a credible market segment, they do so with a bird that simply makes sense.
Aero-News has flown the new Piper Matrix and come away with great respect for an airplane that we found to be oh-so-much more than just an unpressurized Malibu, the $757K six seat Matrix is a lighter, more response bird than the 'blown' PA46 that has become a mainstay of the Piper line-up, as well as the perfect first step on he way to the upcoming PiperJet. The Matrix offers six cabin class seats, serious range, serious performance, and known-icing capability... making it a contender throughout the high-performance piston aircraft game where "getting through" often means having to sit out way too much weather.
The 350-horsepower Matrix cruises at 215 knots, with a range of over 1,345 nautical miles when flown at its maximum operating altitude of 25,000 feet. Down low, where supplemental oxygen isn't necessary, the Matrix checks in at 188 knots and is reportedly good for 831 nautical miles at 12,000 feet. The Matrix also offers a big advantage over the Mirage in usable load.
Stripping the needed equipment to keep the cabin pressurized frees up a 185-lb advantage for the Matrix -- enough for one additional standard-size adult. The aircraft sports the Avidyne Entegra integrated flight deck, with a 10.4" PFD as standard equipment. The panel can be coupled with the autopilot for altitude, vertical speed, and heading without the need for an external control panel.
The Matrix is the first aircraft to offer Avidyne's new MLB700 Datalink receiver for WSI Inflight weather. Other standard avionics include Avidyne's exclusive Multilink two-way datalink service, EMax Electronic Engine Instrumentation System, the CMax Jeppesen JeppView electronic chart display and SIRIUS Satellite Radio. The TAS610 active traffic system and TX670 Tactical Weather Sensor are available as options.
Piper's Bob Kromer treated ANN's Aero-TV crew to a solid briefing discussing, in detail, the Matrix feature set... so sit, back check it out, and enjoy Part One of our thorough Matrix briefer as well as some of our outstanding air-to-air "B-Roll" to keep things on a "higher plane."
FMI: www.piper.com
Copyright @2008, Aero-News Network, Inc., ALL Rights Reserved

[@HagarST]

I say go back to building inexpensive aircraft so folks can afford them...$750.000 who can afford these birds? Aircraft built in China, I agree that they wiil be pieces of garbage..a.e. the cessna Flycatcher,, it might cost cessna $95.000 to build it, it still is going to cost $135.000 here. LSA's the next great saviors for the "normal" recreation pilot...oh ye, thousands will line up to buy one for $125-152.000 and be regulated to do only VFR day. Come on people, let's wake up and make a change

[@scottp4791]

From some ex Retired Piper Employees I have heard The "NEW" out of touch management doesn't want to build PA 28's or PA 32's...As you can see they Cancelled The PA 32 Saratoga line because the are GREEDY and want to sell the 1, 2 MILLION and 3 MILLION Dollar Malibu/Mirage line instead! Piper is NOT The Company my Dad helped build for 33 years!

[@azeoprop]

I want one :P

[@AAtanvardo]

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