TBM as a pilot door and its nice.
Just saying!

The M600 is finally becoming the airplane the Meridian should've been from the start. However, the biggest mistake Piper made was not incorporating any additional baggage space. Perhaps they cannot without adding substantial costs to retooling / re-certifying the fuselage structure.

UL is pointless if you don’t have anywhere to put the stuff you need to take. With the only baggage space behind the rear seats, it doesn’t have anywhere near the baggage space of even my Seneca. Later model TBMs have a nice nose baggage space which makes all the difference when traveling overnight.

Like this. Lots of room for supplies, engine covers and overnight bagage.

I have carried 6 plenty of times in my P46, with luggage. The last trip was 6 to Orlando for 10 days, no problem. The space behind the seats is bigger than it looks, and if packed with airplane savvy baggage is big enough for most purposes. All the seats fold flat, so if you need to get creative with loading, many things are possible. I often pack the floor space with safe items, like soft coolers with food and drink as well as soft bags. We usually rent a Yukon or other large SUV at destination, and can have a hard time fitting it all in the SUV. Not a PC12, but all airplanes are a compromise.

Back on topic, I did talk with someone that had a chance to fly the M600 with a test pilot, and he said the plane flew like a dream. Very well balanced, and faster than the specs that Piper initially put out, well we know that now.

One thing about the door on the 900, is that with the ladder on the left and the console on the right, I did not like the leg room compared to the late model Meridian. I am not huge at 6'2 and 200 lbs, but felt the 900 was confining below the waist compared to the P46T. Here are comparison pictures.

The Meridian has an almost 3 inch wider cabin, and a narrower pedestal so more lateral room. The TBM has a little more headroom, but my knees hit the panel of the 900 and no room for yoke movement, not so with the P46. With the new over spar seats, I actually bring the seat foward 1-2 notches. For extra headroom, I just recline the seat a little to get an extra inch of headroom.

TBM



Meridian

I was shocked when I sat in a TBM at how tight the shoulder room was. Mine rubbed the walls in every seat. Leg and head room were good though. I believe it is a few inches narrower than a Meredian

M600 will be an awesome plane. I hope they depreciate the way meredians have. About the time my mu2 is ready to go to the scrap heap, I should be able to pick one up for next to nothing. I loved my Malibu and a turbine with similar range would be perfect.

Charles,

Not sure who took this pick of the TBM but you know you can push back the seat.
Here is myself at 6'2" in my TBM with the seat pushed all the way back.
I cant even touch the rudder pedal. The rudder pedal are also adjustable.

I had the seat pushed back until it hit something. Didn't look t see what the something was. That does look like your seat went back farther. Is there something in the 900 that restricts the seat? I did adjust the rudder pedals for comfort. I am a leggy 6'2, but still looks like your pic has more leg room. All the SETP's seem to be built around the pax cabin. Even the PC12, but once in place, they all seem comfortable.

Charles, what's the difference between the M500 and Meridian or is that just the new name for the Meridian?

Marc, just that nose baggage space in your photos above makes ALL the difference. The Cherokee Six has a similar nose baggage space and I was always amazed by what I could store up there. Everything that can fit in the nose is that much less stuff that's cluttering up the cabin.

When we travel as a family, we bring a LOT of stuff. I've flown in a Meridian with 4 pax on overnight trips and I'm certain that the baggage load we typically can fit in the Seneca wouldn't fit in the Meridian.

The M500 has the most advanced avionics package of any light GA plane. Builds on the Cirrus perspective with the envelope protection which will resist you if you try to bank climb or descend too radically. Blue level button etc. Where it trumps the Cirrus is that if you exceed those gentle nudges too much or too long, it will actually engage the AP and level the aircraft, stating in plain English, "autopilot engaging" So a panicked or out of control pilot would be rescued.

There are lots of clever little upgrades. There are fully coupled go-arounds, so at the missed, just hit the GA button, and then power up, gear up and flaps up. Envelope protection, so if you get slow for any reason on AP, the aircraft will gently pitch down to maintain airspeed above stall, while warning about the airspeed. All CAS and gear warnings etc. are aural with clear language and on the G1000. No more was that the gear, fire, stall, buzzer

Pressurization is now automatic. Just punch in the destination elevation and the environmental system controls climb cruise and pressurization, so no more little dial.

The G1000 screens are now 10/12/10. The AP is above the panel allowing heads up AP usage, where it should be.

The backups are all digital, actually uses an Aspen for the back up.

The audio panel is 3-D audio, I think that is the GMA350.

In addition to standard 110V power in the cabin, all positions also have USB ports.

Onboard radar now overlays the moving map, so you no longer have to choose between the moving map page and radar page.

100% LED lighting in and out, except the wing anti-ice light. Electroluminescent back lighting for all panel decals, switches and CB's.

The 5-blade prop is now a pretty standard upgrade gives better take off and climb performance.

The executive interior for 2016 is much nicer than anything that has ever been in a Piper. I have the older style, but also got a heck of a discount compared to the new 2016 on my bird.

All of this will be on the M600, in addition to auto descend if the cabin depressurizes and the pilot becomes unresponsive. Can't auto descend the M500 due to the Vmo being too low for a full power descent.

Some pretty nice upgrades.

Here are some pictures off the Piper website.

You can move those seat stop as far back as you want if there is no cabinet like mine.
Its a flat floor, not like the P46 were your limited because of the spar.





I had the seat pushed back until it hit something. Didn't look t see what the something was. That does look like your seat went back farther. Is there something in the 900 that restricts the seat? I did adjust the rudder pedals for comfort. I am a leggy 6'2, but still looks like your pic has more leg room. All the SETP's seem to be built around the pax cabin. Even the PC12, but once in place, they all seem comfortable.

Sorry the M500/600 just got detroned by the TBM 930 and its flying/certified.

That spar is an issue. Of course the new M-series have the seat backs over instead of in front of the spar that gives a good bit more room. As I said, I actually bring my seat forward 1-2 clicks, whereas in the older birds, I had it all the way back and still wanted a little more.

With the new fold flat seats, you can roll into the new M-class birds if you need to

Here is my last Meridian. Note the seat-backs now go over instead of being blocked by the spar.