Aircraft overview

The Piper PA-46 Meridian / M500 is the turboprop member of Piper’s PA-46 pressurized single family, built by Piper Aircraft in Vero Beach, Florida. The Meridian was introduced for the 2001 model year and later renamed M500 in 2015 as part of Piper’s M Class branding. It is a six seat, pressurized, single engine turboprop intended for owner flown and business missions that need turbine reliability, known operating costs and access to smaller airports. Its importance in the used market comes from offering a step into turbine ownership while retaining the PA-46 cabin format and handling philosophy.

Performance & specifications

Power is provided by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A flat rated to 500 shp, driving a constant speed propeller. Typical high speed cruise is about 260 knots, depending on altitude, temperature and weight. Published maximum range is commonly quoted at around 1,000 nautical miles, with practical IFR trip planning often lower when reserves, weather and payload are considered. The certified ceiling is 30,000 feet. Maximum takeoff weight is 5,092 lb, and useful load is typically in the 1,600 to 1,700 lb range, varying by equipment and individual aircraft history.

Cabin & avionics

The cabin normally seats six, with two cockpit seats and four club style passenger seats in the pressurized cabin. The PA-46 fuselage is relatively compact, so buyers should evaluate baggage needs, passenger size and full fuel payload carefully. Early Meridian aircraft were delivered with legacy integrated avionics, including Meggitt and later Avidyne installations on some examples. Garmin G1000 became a major fit on later Meridians, while the M500 brought an updated Garmin G1000 based flight deck with modern autopilot integration and safety features. Many aircraft have also received avionics, traffic, weather, ADS-B and engine monitoring upgrades.

Buying & value

Pre purchase evaluation should focus on engine status, hot section and overhaul timing, propeller time, pressurization condition, maintenance compliance, avionics configuration, damage history and service bulletin status. Air conditioning, known ice equipment, interior refurbishment and upgraded Garmin avionics can materially affect desirability. The main variants to compare are earlier PA-46-500TP Meridian examples and later M500 branded aircraft, which generally command higher prices due to age, avionics and equipment. In current PlaneFox used listings, asking prices average about EUR 1,390,000, with observed listings from about EUR 460,000 to EUR 2,550,000, reflecting wide differences in year, engine life, avionics and condition.