flight test / Piper M350

temperature. The result was 190 knots true airspeed (KTAS) sipping 24.1 gallons per hour fuel flow. Piper quotes a maximum cruising speed of 213 KTAS, but that would occur at the airplane’s 25,000 foot certified ceiling. Hatcher described “the mid-teens” as good cruising altitudes for the M350. I mused that it was a pleasant novelty to be so high in a piston single-engine airplane with a cabin altitude of only 1,620 feet, owing to the 5.5 pounds per square inch maximum cabin pressure differential. If that appeals, then your airplane search narrows to the M350, since it’s the only pressurized pis- ton-engine aircraft currently in production. Hatcher agreed, offering that buyers are often attracted to the pressurization for their passengers’ comfort, as it affords higher, smoother cruise altitudes without need of an oxygen mask. “It trumps the parachute,” Capua added, in reference to the ballistic recovery chute in the competing Cirrus. The M350 can maintain sea level cabin pressure to 12,000 feet. The cockpit environment in cruise left little to be desired. Owing to the pressur- ization, air conditioning is standard equip- ment. Heating and ventilation seemed quite adequate. Under my noise cancelling head- set, the big Lycoming purred contentedly. With Garmin’s GFC 700 autopilot smooth- ly doing the steering, I idly poked my finger into the pulse oximeter on the instrument panel, and was rewarded with the knowl- edge that I had 98 per cent blood oxygen saturation. Oh, I apparently also had a pulse of 69 beats per minute. Reassuring. In the event that I wasn’t adequately pressurized with oxygen, a hypoxia recognition system would detect the absence of pilot interaction with the avionics and commence an automated descent to a safer altitude. The now nearly ubiquitous Garmin G1000 avionics suite includes dual 10.4-inch primary flight displays and one 12.1-inch multifunc- tion display—and a whole lot of capability. Standard equipment in the M350 includes synthetic vision and a yaw damper. I took a stab at loading the RNAV RWY 19 instru- ment approach in Kingston, stumbling slightly due to my unfamiliarity. Hatcher, coming to my rescue, noted that computer- savvy pilots seem to expect to understand the complex G1000 immediately, musing that, “If you recall fixed-card ADF approaches, I’m surprised that pilots expect to master the G1000 in an hour.” Fair enough. From there, the avionics simply steered us through the procedure and delivered us at the missed approach point. I just monitored our progress through the synthetic vision system, and was left to manage configuration and power. 78 SKIES Magazine | March/April 2017 flight test / Piper M350 Hope Aero Propeller & Components Inc. 7605 Bath Road, Mississauga, ON L4T 3T1 Canada t | 905-677-8747 or 800-268-9900 f | 905-677-5935 goodtogo@hopeaero.com | HOPEAERO.COM CusTOMeR dRiveN, CusTOMized seRviCe sOLuTiONs. OuR wORk is dONe CORReCTLy The fiRsT TiMe, eveRy TiMe. CONTiNuOus fLOw pROduCTiON fOR eveN fasTeR TuRN TiMes. R408 photo faMiLy-OwNed siNCe 1969, wORLd-CLass faCiLiTy HOPE AERO PROPELLERS WHEELS & BRAKES NDT SERVICES DYNAMIC BALANCING 80 SKIES Magazine | March/April 2017 flight test / Piper M350 Commencing the missed approach is typically a high-workload moment requiring disengagement of the autopilot, but the M350’s Coupled Go-Around Mode made it push-button simple. In concert with the Underspeed Protection System, the autopilot remains engaged and protects against excessively low speed while the pilot applies power and cleans up the flaps and undercarriage. hANDliNg, APPROACh AND lANDiNg En route back to Ottawa, I took the opportunity to sample the M350’s handling qualities. Autopilot disengagements were smooth, typically leaving the airplane in trim. The controls were pleasant, responsive and tight, and would present no undue challenges for a minimally experienced pilot. I found configuration changes transparent, requiring only small trim corrections. Having extended the undercarriage and full flaps, I sampled a few very benign stalls. At our operating weight, the low- speed audio warning activated at 63 KIAS, with only a small and easily corrected left wing drop at 59 KIAS. The Electronic Stability Protection system provides additional flight envelope protection from roll upsets while hand- flying by automatically engaging servos to input corrective forces should the pilot encroach upon safe limits. A further neat Garmin innovation is the big, blue “LVL” (level) button on the instru- ment panel, which serves as a sort of panic button to quickly return the aircraft to a wings-level attitude with zero vertical speed. Aircraft owner-pilots rarely fly as much as they would like, and maintaining proficiency is often a challenge. The comprehensive safety features in the M350 go a long way to matching the aircraft to its target demographic. If my opinion on these safety features isn’t clear: “Yay, Piper!” Returning to Ottawa it was quickly time for descent, which is usually a limitation of tur- bocharged aircraft, as power reductions need to be performed very slowly to avoid shock- cooling the expensive parts. I was pleased to see that the M350 could achieve better than a 2,000 foot-per-minute rate of descent without reducing power, thanks to the combination of wing-mounted speed brakes and the rela- tively high maximum airspeed (Vne) of 198 KIAS. Likewise, the generous undercarriage and approach flap (10 degrees) extension speed of 165 KIAS help the M350 to slow down when the airport appears. Far too soon we were landing back on Ottawa’s Runway 07, using full flaps and an approach speed (Vref) of 85 KIAS. Turning onto the taxiway, I noticed that I was smil- ing. That’s the best endorsement that I can imagine for an owner-flown airplane design. the eNVelOPe, PleAse It is heartening to report that there are once again a number of single-engine airplanes on the market. Options include four- to six-place designs, piston and turboprop models, high- and low-wings, with fixed and retractable undercarriage. The market hasn’t been so well served since the 1980s, although today’s airplanes are far better in every regard. Piper’s new M350 fares well against the competition, occupying its unique niche as the only pressurized six- place single-engine piston aircraft. The M350 is a light airplane, but it’s also a serious travelling machine. Armed with the G1000’s impressive capabilities, weather radar and certification for flight into known icing, the result is a virtually “go anywhere any time” airplane for pilots on the go. Mobility problem solved. Robert Erdos is a contributing editor for Skies magazine. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and a professional test pilot. Also an aviation enthusiast, his spare time activities include displaying vintage airplanes and flying his RV-6 kitplane. 120 US gal 454 litres Usable fuel capacity Hartzell constant speed propeller Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A, 350 hp Engine 4,340 lbs 1,969 kg Max. takeoff weight 5.6 psid Max. cabin differential 213 ktas 395 km/h Max. cruising speed 1,343 nm 2,487 km Range with 45 minutes reserve 2,090 ft 637 m Takeoff distance (over 50 ft obstacle) 1,968 ft 600 m Landing distance (over 50 ft obstacle) 25,000 ft 7,620 m Max. approved altitude wingspan: 43 ft (13.1 m) height: 11.4 ft (3.4 m) length: 28.11 ft (8.6 m) Jim Barret/Piper Aircraft Photo