Piper Mirage Named "Best of the Best Personal Aircraft" by Robb Report

Written by Dennis Piotrowski

Friday, 30 May 2014 07:12

VERO BEACH, Fla. - May 27, 2014 - Piper Aircraft's top-of-the-line piston-powered M-Class Mirage was named "Best of the Best Personal Aircraft for 2014" by the Robb Report.


"A pressurized cabin, six seats, and a full-size air-stair door are unusual features for a piston-powered single-engine aircraft, but they are part of the package with the Piper Mirage," wrote the luxury lifestyle magazine.


"While the plane is designed primarily for utility and efficiency, Piper did not overlook comfort. The cabin features roomy leather-upholstered fold-down club seats, electric outlets for personal devices, reading lights, and an easily accessible interior baggage compartment," according to the publication, dated June 1, 2014.


"The cockpit is equipped with Garmin's G1000 avionics suite, synthetic vision, ice protection, and a terrain warning system. The efficient Lycoming engine provides the Mirage with a range of 1,500 miles and a top speed of 245 mph. The starting price is about $1.1 million," the magazine concluded.


"This is yet another recognition that Piper Aircraft delivers the aircraft of choice for aviators throughout the world," said Piper Vice President of Sales and Marketing Drew McEwen. "When a prestigious lifestyle publication like the Robb Report acknowledges the many advantages that our customers experience every day it reinforces Piper's reputation for excellence, backed by thousands of pleased aviators over many decades of flying."


About the Piper Mirage


The Piper Mirage is a step up from four-place aircraft. With a convenient airstair door entrance and large cabin volume, the Mirage projects sophistication and is the only pressurized piston-engine aircraft in production today. The Piper Mirage is powered by a 350 HP dual turbocharged engine and has a 213 ktas cruising speed, as well as the ability to cruise up to 25,000 feet in pressurized comfort.


About Piper Aircraft, Inc.


Piper Aircraft, Inc., headquartered in Vero Beach, Fla., offers aviators throughout the world efficient and reliable single-engine and twin-engine aircraft. The single-engine M-Class series - the Meridian, Mirage and Matrix - offer businesses and individuals elegant performance and value. The Twin Class Seneca V and Seminole balance proven performance, efficiency and simplicity in twin-engine aircraft. The Trainer Class Archer TX, Arrow, Seminole and Seneca V aircraft form the most complete technically advanced line of pilot training aircraft in the world. All Piper airplanes feature advanced Garmin avionics in the cockpit. Piper is a member of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

And, if you carry 6oz of fuel, you can fill all 4 of those 6 seats.

Please.

I've owned 2 Bonanzas (1958 J35 and 2003 A35) and 1986 Baron BE58. This past February I sold my 2003 Bonanza and purchased a 2012 Mirage.

I really wanted a G1000 airplane, mostly for the Garmin 700 autopilot. I looked at G36 Bonanzas, and G58 Barons, but I kept coming back looking at the G1000 Mirage. I had considerable flight hours in all 3 aircraft having picked up a new 2006 G36 Bonanza at the factory and have 3 clients that own G58 Barons and a client that owns a G1000 equipped Mirage.

As much as I love the Beech quality, the Mirage does everything better than the G58 Baron above 10,000 feet while burning 10 GPH less fuel.

As far as useful load, my Mirage has an empty weight of 3142 lbs. and a gross take off weight of 4358 pounds. With full fuel of 120 gallons (720 pounds) I have a useful load of 496 pounds, not too shabby. If you compare that to either the Baron or Bonanza with full fuel I think you will find that it compares very nicely. The G58 Baron with 199 gallons of fuel won't do nearly so well.

As I said, I love Beech quality but the Mirage is a pressurized, cabin class, FIKI certified, radar equipped aircraft with a much larger cabin than than the Bonanza or Baron. Also has dual AHARS and dual ADC. Sorry folks, the Beech piston G1000 airplanes are not in the same class.

I'll always love my Bonanzas and Baron but I love the Mirage more.

I have no idea why Malibus and Mirages are not more popular. Pressurization is such a game changer for passenger comfort and weather avoidance.

I can easily go 1500nm non stop, land with reserves, and arrive refreshed from breathing 8k or less cabin altitude air.

I do that while burning 16.6gph and truing out at 210kts and cruising up to FL250. And I have known ice. And I can carry 1360 lbs of people and gas.

I think a lot of folks who fly TN Bonanzas would be shocked at what a step up a Malibu is if they flew one. Not right for every mission, but if you use an airplane for medium and long distance travel, it is tough to beat. Sure, you pay more in mx but there really isn't that much more to break vs a TN Bo with TKS. Much of the negative feedback I read in BT prior to purchasing does nt match the realities I have experienced owning and flying one.

I want one! Not newer model mind you. Can't afford that. But late 90s/early 2000s. Love my 36. But after 450 hrs of cross country flying with family and friends, these things are now high priorities:

Pressurized cabin
Roomier cabin
A/C
More speed (low 200s would be great)
FIKI

TN/Turbo 36s, 55s, and 58s don't get me everything I want. I drool every time I see Greg S's beautiful P-Baron. But same cabin I have now. From pax point of view. Not talking loading cargo.

Haven't ruled out something like a 340 or 414, but am really leery about jumping into a twin due to operating cost.

Yes, annuals and insurance cost will be higher for Malibu vs Bonanza. But not huge jump, like would be the case with a twin.

Seems like the ideal step up from where I am. All things considered.

My 86 cost about the same as a similar year TN Bo....

I looked ohhhh soooo hard at the Malibu/Mirage and wanted to purchase one. I flew in a new Mirage and really loved the interior and flight characteristics. Plus I think the plane itself is gorgeous.

I joined the MMOPA and looked at every plane I could find. As much as I wanted one, the maintenance flat out scared me. For example, many of the planes I saw needed replacement of the hot windshield. Something like $30k to replace and I was told they last 10-12 years. The thought of needing to plan reserves of $3K/year just for the hot windshield diverted me from the Piper path.

I still love them and if I thought I could afford the maintenance (and an occasional big AMU surprise) without getting anxious about it I'd get one.

My chief concern as well John. I've heard similar stories. Also stories about nose gear collapses and top end cylinder reliability in the Lycoming 540. Don't have all the facts yet. But here's what keeps me coming back. A second engine, which is really what you need to get something comparable in performance, is an extra $80/hr in fuel. 200 hrs/yr, 10 years = $160,000 in fuel. That will cover a lot of extra mtce and repairs in the Malibu. Hopefully my math's not flawed. Personally, I just need to get over the hump that you wants more, you pays more. Compared to the alternatives, I haven't found info yet that suggests the Malibu Mirage isn't a very good value for what you're getting. But then again, I haven't sold my Bo yet either!

When looking at maintenance cost, you have to stick to an apples-apples comparison. A Mirage compares with a C340, not a V-tail. Replacing a windshield on a pressurized cessna twin or a Duke doesn't come cheap either.

One reason the Mirage looks so poor in the payload department are the large tanks it lugs around. At 20gph, 85gallons are still 3+1hrs. With the useful of 1216 given above, that would leave enough for 736lbs in the cabin. That is 2 adults, 2 teenagers and luggage from Manassas,VA to Leesburg,FL or Bar Harbor,ME. All that with known icing, radar and air conditioning.

The EPS 400 hp diesel would really change this airplane, that would be my first STC candidate if I was EPS.

What would work really well on that plane is a well executed 500hp turbine installation

I've always thought they had a lot to offer and filled a niche not directly served by any other other aircraft, but one question keeps popping up . . .

I'm 6' 4" and 230 lbs, so how does a large guy get into the left front seat?

And as a single engine airplane, I'm waiting for someone to ask where the chute is.

That seems to be the litmus test for the new age pilot.

Totally agree Florian. That's what I was trying to say with my "wants more, pays more" comment. While I wish a Mirage costs the same as my Bo, that's just not realistic. But when you compare the Mirage to a 340, which I've done on paper, I'm hard pressed to find performance capability benefits that justifies the high relative operating costs of the 340.

Besides price, it was a consideration for me.
But more realistically, most owners seem to fly the plane high enough and with that wing you have a great gliding range. The difference in glide range between cruising at 22K and 8K make a huge difference. (Pressurization makes a huge difference for those of us not interested in sucking O2)

Tim

Well, the question is do you like to spend your money on fuel and maintenance or on interest ?

I think if I routinely crossed the gulf of mexico, I would probably want to have the 340, if all the flying is over the continental US, the Mirage is a good option. As a disturbingly large number of PA46 pilots have found out, the airframe makes a good glider down from FL200.

Then again, a well known BTer went swimming in the gulf with his E55 Baron.