A friend is looking for a 6 seater piston and Piper Brasil offered him a Matrix. Since I know nothing about this plane, what you guys think about it.

Flights range from 130 to 500 miles.

Budget is $600k

FS: 1986 Piper Malibu (NDH, 378 SMOH, G500, 530W, FIKI)

viewtopic.php?f=43&t=97629

The matrix is an unpressurized PA46. If he wants a newer plane for shorter flights it is a reasonable choice. How much weight does he need to carry?

For his business will be 4 onboard + gear 500nm trip

Weekends 6 onboard + gear 150 nm trip

Questions are about full fuel range, speeds, burn.

Flights will depart from São Paulo SBMT, rwy is 5000ft

5000 feet is no problem, even at 40C

How heavy are the 4/6 people + gear

http://www.controller.com/listingsdetai ... 323577.htm is an example with 1250lb useful load.

Some early Matrix were delivered without radar or boots which increased useful load, but 1250 seems reasonably typical.

10,000 cruise speeds are about 190 on 20gph or 170 on 15gph. 50 gallons is a reasonable minimum to launch with for a short trip, so figure he'd have 950lbs available for the weekend trip. 500nm you'd need 80ish on departure, so figure 750lb available.

Thanks Charles.

Much better to hear from a pilot.

All the info he had was the brochure from Piper.

If he is serious mmopa.com is worth the $250 to join.

A friend of mine sells alot of Malibu series aircraft, and I asked him about the Matrix a few years back. His comment was that it would be lighter than the Malibu, slightly less maintenance, but after a couple years, the owner would want to trade up to a Malibu. The reason being that the wing on the Malibu series was designed for high altitude operations, and soon they would realize that to get descent performance out of the aircraft, they would need to go high. Most owners (and passengers) would quickly become sick of wearing oxygen, and would then sell.

Jason

I prefer the Malibu and Mirage. Pressurized aircraft make the flight much nicer and I would want some extra altitude for 500 mile trips if possible not even considering weather. Typically I fly at about 18K and I can see most of the TCs that way. The Malibus fly happily LOP at 15 gph and some Mirages can fly LOP at 16 GPH and would allow 3 or 4 folks on such a journey. Typical useful load is about 1250 to 1300 lbs. Price range for a Malibu with a new engine is about $350K on controller right now.

Buy a A36 or G36 and have it Turbonormalized. Don't be fooled by the air stair. Check out the useful load and speed. Look hard at the maintenance cost.

Carry an extra starter everywhere. I think that's what the nose baggage is for.

Watch yourself climbing into the pilot seat. It's a ridiculous contortion act and your ass will be in your PAX face.

+1000

My 2008 TN G36 motors along at FL210 at close to 200 kts true, carries up to 6 hours of fuel, and has a 1257 lb useful load. I've always lusted after a Malibu or Mirage, but when I look at the numbers, I always come back to the Bo.

+1000

My 2008 TN G36 motors along at FL210 at close to 200 kts true, carries up to 6 hours of fuel, and has a 1257 lb useful load. I've always lusted after a Malibu or Mirage, but when I look at the numbers, I always come back to the Bo.

If true, wouldn't one see more Malibu's?

I thought useful load was always the Malibu's achilles heel?